These Regulations further amend the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (Schedule 1 to these Regulations), the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (Schedule 2 to these Regulations) and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (Schedule 3 to these Regulations) referred to in this note as “the amended Regulations”. They make provision to the amended Regulations in connection with the introduction of child tax credit and working tax credit by the Tax Credits Act 2002 (“the 2002 Act”).

The amendments remove references in the amended Regulations to working families' tax credit and disabled person’s tax credit, which are abolished by section 1 of the 2002 Act, and include references to child tax credit and working tax credit created by that Act. They make provision for treating the date on which the tax credits are to be paid in income support and jobseeker’s allowance and for additional income disregards which are connected with the introduction of the tax credits in all the amended Regulations.

The amendments also make provision in connection with the extended entitlement to child benefit following the death of a child introduced by section 55 of the 2002 Act and make other changes consequential upon, and relating to, the 2002 Act.

As these Regulations are made before the end of a period of 6 months from the commencement of the relevant provisions in the 2002 Act, they are accordingly, exempt, by virtue of section 150(5)(b) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, from prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.

These Regulations do not impose any charge on business.