2001 No. 420
The Social Security (Notification of Change of Circumstances) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001
Made
Coming into operation
The Department for Social Development, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 105A(1A), (1B), (1D) and (1E), 106(1A) to (1D) and 165(1), (3) and (4) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 19921 and now vested in it2, and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, by this statutory rule which contains only regulations made consequential upon section 15 of the Social Security Fraud Act (Northern Ireland) 20013 and with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel4 in so far as regulation 4 is concerned, hereby makes the following Regulations:
Citation, commencement and interpretation1
1
These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Notification of Change of Circumstances) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and shall come into operation on 7th January 2002.
2
The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19545 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.
Notification for purposes of sections 105A and 106 of the Social Security Administration Act2
Regulations 3 to 5 prescribe the person to whom, and manner in which, a change of circumstances must be notified for the purposes of sections 105A(1A) to (1G) and 106(1A) to (1F) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (offences relating to failure to notify a change of circumstances).
Change affecting jobseeker’s allowance3
1
Where the benefit affected by the change of circumstances is a jobseeker’s allowance, notice must be given or sent to the Department in writing (except where it determines in any particular case that it will accept a notice other than in writing) at the office that the claimant is required to attend in accordance with a notification given to him under regulation 23 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19966 (attendance).
2
In this regulation “Department” includes a person designated as an employment officer by an order made by the Department under Article 10(3) of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 19957 (attendance, information and evidence).
Change affecting housing benefit4
1
Where the benefit affected by the change of circumstances is housing benefit, notice must be given or sent in writing to the relevant authority at—
a
the designated office; or
b
in a case where notification at another office is permitted under regulation 75 of the Housing Benefit Regulations8 (duty to notify changes of circumstances), that other office.
Change affecting other benefit, payment or advantage5
1
Where the benefit or other payment or advantage affected by the change of circumstances is not jobseeker’s allowance or housing benefit, notice must be given or sent to the Department in writing (except where it determines in any particular case that it will accept a notice other than in writing) at the appropriate office.
2
In this regulation “the appropriate office” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 198711 (interpretation).
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 3rd December 2001.
The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby consents to regulation 4 of the foregoing Regulations.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 3rd December 2001.
(This note is not part of the Regulations.)