Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010

PART 2 CHILD MAINTENANCE

Payments of child support maintenance

31.—(1) Article 29 of the Child Support Order (collection of child support maintenance) is amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph (3) (provision which may be made by regulations for payment of child support maintenance), for sub-paragraph (c) substitute—

“(c) for determining, on the basis of prescribed assumptions, the total amount of the payments of child support maintenance payable in a reference period (including provision for adjustments to such an amount);

(ca) requiring payments of child support maintenance to be made—

(i) by reference to such an amount and a reference period; and

(ii) at prescribed intervals falling in a reference period;”.

(3) After that paragraph insert—

“(3A) In paragraph (3)(c) and (ca) “a reference period” means—

(a) a period of 52 weeks beginning with a prescribed date; or

(b) in prescribed circumstances, a prescribed period.”.

Child support maintenance: offences relating to information

32.—(1) Article 16A of the Child Support Order (information – offences) is amended as follows.

(2) For paragraph (3A) substitute

“(3A) In the case of regulations under Article 16 which require a person liable to make payments of child support maintenance to notify—

(a) a change of address, or

(b) any other change of circumstances,

a person who fails to comply with the requirement is guilty of an offence.”.

(3) After paragraph (5) add—

“(6) Notwithstanding anything in Article 19(1)(a) of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (limitation of time for taking proceedings), summary proceedings for an offence under paragraph (2) may be instituted at any time within the period of 12 months beginning with the commission of the offence.”.