Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These Regulations amend the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(“the Claims and Payments Regulations”), the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (“the Housing Benefit Regulations”) and the Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (“the Decisions and Appeals Regulations”).
Regulation 2 amends the Claims and Payments Regulations to reflect new provisions in the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 whereby certain couples (“joint-claim couples”) may only be entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance if they make a claim for it jointly and both satisfy the conditions for entitlement in that Order. Regulation 2(2) inserts definitions for the purpose of those Regulations. Regulation 2(3) prescribes rules relating to the making of claims by joint-claim couples and regulation 2(4) prescribes the date on which such claims are to be treated as made. Regulation 2(5) prescribes when a member of a joint-claim couple may have a claim backdated and regulation 2(6) to (8) prescribes special rules relating to the payment of jobseeker’s allowance to a joint-claim couple.
Regulation 3 makes consequential amendments to the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987.
Regulation 4 makes consequential amendments to the Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999.
These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.
In so far as these Regulations are required, for the purposes of regulation 3, to be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, (“the 1992 Act”), after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee, they have not been so referred by virtue of section 150(1)(b) of that Act. Otherwise they make in relation to Northern Ireland 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 1992 Act, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.