1997 No. 171
SOCIAL SECURITY

The Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Made
Coming into operation
The Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 122(1)(a), 131(1) and 171(1) and (3) to (5) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 19921 and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation1.

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 13th April 1997.

(2)

These Regulations shall have effect in relation to any particular claimant—

(a)

in a case where income support is paid to the claimant in arrears in accordance with paragraph 7(1)(a) of Schedule 7 to the Claims and Payments Regulations2 (date when change of circumstances is to take effect)—

(i)

from the first day of the benefit week which includes 20th April 1997, or

(ii)

if the claim for income support is for a period beginning after 20th April 1997, from the first day of the first benefit week commencing after 13th April 1997;

(b)

in a case where income support is paid to the claimant in advance in accordance with paragraph 7(1)(b) of Schedule 7 to the Claims and Payments Regulations, from the first day of the first benefit week commencing after 20th April 1997,

and for this purpose, the expressions “claimant” and “benefit week” have the same meanings as in regulation 2(1) of the Income Support Regulations3 (interpretation).

(3)

In these Regulations—

“the Claims and Payments Regulations” means the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19874;
“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19875.

(4)

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19546 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Amendment of Schedule 3 to the Income Support Regulations2.

In Schedule 3 to the Income Support Regulations7 (housing costs), in paragraph 12(1)(a) (standard rate of interest on qualifying loans) for “6·89 per cent.” there shall be substituted “7·20 per cent.”.

Revocation3.

The Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19968 are hereby revoked save that those Regulations shall continue to have effect until the day before the first day of the benefit week having effect in relation to any particular claimant for the purpose of regulation 1(2) of these Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland on

John O'Neill
Assistant Secretary
(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend Schedule 3 to the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 with respect to the standard rate of interest applicable to a loan which qualifies for income support. The rate is increased from 6·89 per cent. to 7·20 per cent. (regulation 2). The Regulations also revoke, with a saving provision, the Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 which made a previous amendment to the standard rate of interest (regulation 3).

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Social Security in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8), are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.