The Social Security (Northern Ireland Reciprocal Arrangements) Regulations 2016

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations give effect in Great Britain to reciprocal arrangements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland relating to social security. The arrangements are made between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with the consent of the Treasury, of the one part and the Minister for Social Development in Northern Ireland, with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel, of the other part. These arrangements are contained in the Memorandum set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

The arrangements terminate and replace the Memorandum of Reciprocal Arrangements of 1976 relating to social security contained in Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Northern Ireland Reciprocal Arrangements) Regulations 1976, S.I. No. 1003. They largely mirror the arrangements of 1976, which help secure a single system of social security for the United Kingdom. So, for example, a person’s payment of National Insurance contributions in one territory will have equivalent effect in the other territory; in the same way a claim to, or award of, a contributory benefit in one territory will be treated as a claim to, or award of, that benefit in the other territory. The arrangements are also extended in order to encompass benefits in recent social security legislation, i.e. Employment and Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and new state pension. Several out of date references to various authorities and tribunals are updated.

The Regulations provide that the legislation referred to in regulation 2(2) is adapted to give effect to the provisions contained in the Memorandum of Reciprocal Arrangements set out in the Schedule.

An impact assessment has not been produced for these Regulations as they have no impact on business or civil society organisations.