The Income-Related Benefits (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Income-Related Benefits (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 and this regulation shall come into operation on 1st April 1996.

(2) In so far as these Regulations amend provisions relating to income support they shall come into operation on 8th April 1996 and, in relation to any particular claimant for that benefit, shall have effect from the beginning of the first benefit week to commence for that claimant on or after that date.

(3) In paragraph (2) the expressions “claimant” and “benefit week” have the same meaning as in the Income Support Regulations.

(4) In so far as these Regulations amend provisions relating to housing benefit they shall come into operation on 1st April 1996.

(5) In so far as these Regulations amend provisions relating to family credit or disability working allowance, they shall come into operation on 9th April 1996 and, in relation to any particular claimant for either of those benefits, they shall have effect—

(a)where a claimant has an award of family credit or disability working allowance which is current on 9th April 1996, on the day following the expiration of that award, or

(b)in any other case, on 9th April 1996.

(6) In these Regulations—

“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(1);

“the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(2);

“the Family Credit Regulations” means the Family Credit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(3);

“the Disability Working Allowance Regulations” means the Disability Working Allowance (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992(4).

(7) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(5) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.