The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2017

PART 1 INTRODUCTION

Citation, commencement and effect

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2017.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), this Order shall come into force for the purposes of—

(a) this article and articles 2 and 7, on 1st April 2017;

(b) article 3—

(i) in so far as it relates to any increase to which article 7(9)(b) applies, on 1st April 2017, and

(ii) for all other purposes, on 10th April 2017;

(c) articles 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 19, on 10th April 2017;

(d) article 8, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 1st April 2017, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Computation of Earnings Regulations;

(e) article 9, on 6th April 2017;

(f) article 10, on 2nd April 2017, except for the purpose of determining the rate of maternity allowance in accordance with section 35A(1)(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (appropriate weekly rate of maternity allowance under section 35), for which purpose it shall come into force on 10th April 2017;

(g) article 11, on 2nd April 2017;

(h) articles 17 and 18, on 6th April 2017;

(i) articles 20 and 21, in so far as they relate to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 10th April 2017, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the Income Support Regulations;

(j) articles 22 and 23, in relation to a case where rent is payable at intervals of a week or any multiple thereof, on 3rd April 2017, and in relation to any other case, on 1st April 2017;

(k) article 24, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 10th April 2017, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

(l) article 25, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 10th April 2017, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the State Pension Credit Regulations;

(m) article 26, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 10th April 2017, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the ESA Regulations 2008;

(n) article 27, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 10th April 2017, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the ESA Regulations 2013;

(o) article 28, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first assessment period to commence for that beneficiary on or after 10th April 2017(2), and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “assessment period” has the same meaning as in section 7(2) of the Welfare Reform Act 2012(3); and

(p) article 29, on 9th May 2017.

(3) In so far as articles 3, 4, 10, 12, 19 and 27 relate to a beneficiary in favour of whom an award of universal credit is in force, those articles shall come into force for the purposes of determining the beneficiary’s unearned income in relation to that award on the same day as article 28 comes into force for that beneficiary.

(4) The changes made in the sums specified for rates or amounts of benefit in articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13 and 14 shall take effect for each case on the date specified in relation to that case in article 7.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order—

“the Administration Act” means the Social Security Administration Act 1992;

“the Computation of Earnings Regulations” means the Social Security Benefit (Computation of Earnings) Regulations 1996(4);

“the Contributions and Benefits Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992(5);

“the ESA Regulations 2008” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008(6);

“the ESA Regulations 2013” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013(7);

“the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006(8);

“the Housing Benefit (SPC) Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for State Pension Credit) Regulations 2006(9);

“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987(10);

“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996(11);

“the Pensions Act” means the Pensions Act 2014(12);

“the Pension Schemes Act” means the Pension Schemes Act 1993(13);

“the State Pension Credit Regulations” means the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002(14); and

“the Universal Credit Regulations” means the Universal Credit Regulations 2013(15).

(1)

Section 35A was inserted by section 53 of the 1999 Act. Subsection (1) was substituted by section 48 of the Employment Act 2002 (c. 22). The rate of maternity allowance is linked to the prescribed rate of statutory maternity pay set out in regulation 6 of S.I. 1986/1960.

(2)

See S.I. 2014/2888 which amends section 150(10) of the Administration Act and also inserts section 150(10ZA) and (10ZB) into that Act so that it aligns with the monthly assessment period cycle in universal credit.

(3)

2012 c. 5.

(4)

S.I. 1996/2745; the relevant amending instrument is S.I. 2002/842.

(5)

1992 c. 4 (“the Contributions and Benefits Act”).

(6)

S.I. 2008/794; the relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2008/2428 and 3195, 2009/2655 and 3228, 2010/1811, 2011/2428, 2014/591, 2015/457 and 2016/242.

(7)

S.I. 2013/379; the relevant amending instrument is S.I. 2015/457.

(8)

S.I. 2006/213; the relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2006/718, 2007/2868, 2008/1082 and 2428, 2009/2608, 2010/793, 2015/457, 1754 and 1857 and 2016/242.

(9)

S.I. 2006/214; the relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2006/718, 2007/2869, 2008/3157, 2010/793, 2015/457, 1754 and 1857 and 2016/242.

(10)

S.I. 1987/1967; the relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1990/1776, 1995/516, 1613 and 2927, 1996/206, 1803, 2518 and 2545, 1998/766, 1999/2555, 3109 and 3178, 2000/2629, 2001/3651, 2002/2497 and 3019, 2003/455, 2004/2327 and 2825, 2005/3360, 2006/718, 2007/719, 2009/3228, 2010/1811, 2014/591, 2015/457 and 2016/242.

(11)

S.I. 1996/207; the relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1996/1516, 1803, 2518 and 2545, 1998/766, 1999/2555 and 2860, 2000/636, 1978 and 2629, 2001/518 and 3651, 2003/455 and 511, 2004/2327 and 2825, 2006/718, 2007/719, 2008/3195, 2009/1488 and 3228, 2010/1811, 2014/591, 2015/457 and 2016/242.

(12)

2014 c. 19.

(13)

1993 c. 48; the relevant amending instrument is S.I. 2005/2050.

(14)

S.I. 2002/1792; the relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2002/3197, 2004/2327 and 2825, 2005/3360, 2006/588 and 2378, 2007/2618, 2008/3195, 2010/1811, 2014/591, 2015/457 and 1754 and 2016/230 and 242.

(15)

S.I. 2013/376; the relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2013/1508 and 2015/457.