Citation, commencement and interpretation1.

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Housing Costs Special Arrangements) (Amendment and Modification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008.

(2)

Regulations 4 to 6, in so far as they relate to a particular person, shall come into operation on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that person on or after 5th January 2009.

(3)

The remaining provisions of these Regulations shall come into operation on 5th January 2009.

(4)

In these Regulations—

“benefit week” has the same meaning as in—

(a)

regulation 2(1)7 of the Income Support Regulations8, where the relevant benefit is income support;

(b)

regulation 1(2)9 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations10, where the relevant benefit is a jobseeker’s allowance;

(c)

regulation 2(1) of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations11, where the relevant benefit is an employment and support allowance;

“the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008;

“housing costs” has the same meaning as in paragraph 1(2) (housing costs) of—

(a)

Schedule 312 to the Income Support Regulations, where the relevant benefit is income support;

(b)

Schedule 2 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations, where the relevant benefit is a jobseeker’s allowance, and

(c)

Schedule 6 to the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations, where the relevant benefit is an employment and support allowance;

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

“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996;

“relevant benefit” means—

(a)

income support;

(b)

a jobseeker’s allowance;

(c)

an employment and support allowance;

“the State Pension Credit Regulations” means the State Pension Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200313.

(5)

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 195414 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.