PART IINTRODUCTORY

Title and commencement1.

(1)

This Order may be cited as the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.

(2)

Subject to paragraph (3), this Order shall come into operation on such day or days as the Department may by order appoint.

(3)

The following provisions of this Order shall come into operation on the seventh day after the day on which this Order is made—

(a)

this Article and Article 2;

(b)

paragraph (1) of Article 47 (so far as relating to a sum which is chargeable to tax by virtue of section 313 of the M1 Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988), and paragraphs (2) to (4) of that Article;

(c)

Articles 62, 65, 68 and 73 to 77;

(d)

Schedule 5.

(4)

An order under paragraph (2) may make such savings, or such transitional or consequential provision, as the Department considers necessary or expedient—

(a)

in preparation for or in connection with the coming into operation of any provision of this Order; or

(b)

in connection with the operation of any statutory provision repealed or amended by a provision of this Order during any period when the repeal or amendment is not wholly in operation.

Interpretation2.

(1)

The M2 Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(2)

In this Order—

  • “the Administration Act” means the M3 Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

  • “the Child Support Order” means the M4 Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991;

  • “the Contributions and Benefits Act” means the M5 Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

  • “the Department” means the Department of Health and Social Services;

  • F1“health care professional” means—

    1. (a)

      a registered medical practitioner;

    2. (b)

      a registered nurse;

    3. (c)

      an occupational therapist or physiotherapist registered with a regulatory body established by an Order in Council under section 60 of the Health Act 1999 (c. 8); or

    4. (d)

      a member of such other profession regulated by a body mentioned in section 25(3) of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (c. 17) as the Department may prescribe;

  • “the Jobseekers Order” means the M6 Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

  • “prescribe” means prescribe by regulations;

  • “the Recovery of Benefits Order” means the M7 Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997;

  • “statutory provision” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(f) of the M8 Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954;

  • “the Vaccine Damage Payments Act” means the M9 Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979.