The Income-Related Benefits (Local Welfare Provision Disregard) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022

Amendment of the Universal Credit Regulations

8.—(1) The Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016(1) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) In regulation 2 (interpretation), after the definition of “LCWRA element” insert—

““local welfare provision” means occasional financial or other assistance given by a Northern Ireland Department, or a person authorised to exercise any function of, or provide a service to, it, to or in respect of individuals for the purpose of—

(a)

meeting, or helping to meet, an immediate short term need—

(i)

arising out of an exceptional event, or exceptional circumstances; and

(ii)

that requires to be met in order to avoid a risk to the well-being of an individual; or

(b)

enabling individuals to establish or maintain a settled home, where those individuals have been or, without the assistance, might otherwise be—

(i)

in prison, hospital, a residential care establishment or other institution; or

(ii)

homeless or otherwise living an unsettled way of life;”.

(3) In Schedule 10 (capital to be disregarded), after paragraph 18(2), insert—

“18A    A payment received within the past 12 months by way of local welfare provision including arrears and payments in lieu of local welfare provision.”

(1)

S.R. 2016 No. 216

(2)

Paragraph 18 was amended by S.R. 2019 No. 195