The Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Responsibility for children or young persons N.I.

The child element N.I.

25.—(1) The amount to be included in an award of universal credit for each child or qualifying young person for whom a claimant is responsible [F1 and in respect of whom an amount may be included under Article 15] (“the child element”) is given in the table in regulation 38 (amounts of elements).

(2) An additional amount as shown in that table is to be included in respect of each child or qualifying young person who is disabled and that amount is—

(a) the lower rate where the child or qualifying young person is entitled to disability living allowance or personal independence payment (unless sub-paragraph (b) applies), or

(b) the higher rate where the child or qualifying young person is—

(i) entitled to the care component of disability living allowance at the highest rate or the daily living component of personal independence payment at the enhanced rate, or

(ii) blind.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 25(1) inserted (11.3.2017) by The Welfare Reform and Work (Northern Ireland) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/999 (N.I. 1)), arts. 2(1), 10(5)(a); S.R. 2017/46, art. 2(b)

[F2 Availability of the child element where maximum exceeded N.I.

25A.— (1) Where a claimant is responsible for more than two children or qualifying young persons, the amount mentioned in Article 15(1) of the Order is to be available in respect of—

(a) the first and second children or qualifying young persons in the claimant's household; and

(b) the third and any subsequent child or qualifying young person in the claimant's household if—

(i) the child or qualifying young person is transitionally protected; or

(ii) an exception applies in relation to that child or qualifying young person.

(2) A reference in paragraph (1) to a child or qualifying young person being the first, second, third or subsequent child or qualifying young person in the claimant's household is a reference to the position of that child or qualifying young person in the order determined in accordance with regulation 25B.

(3) A child or qualifying young person is “transitionally protected” in the circumstances set out in regulation 41 of the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.

(4) An exception applies in relation to a child or qualifying young person in the circumstances set out in Schedule 12 (availability of the child element where maximum exceeded – exceptions).

Textual Amendments

F2 Regs. 25A, 25B inserted (coming into force in accordance with reg. 1(3) of the amending Rule) by The Social Security (Restrictions on Amounts for Children and Qualifying Young Persons) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (S.R. 2017/79), regs. 1(3), 2(3)

Order of children and qualifying young persons N.I.

25B.— (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the order of children or qualifying young persons in a claimant's household is to be determined by reference to the following date in relation to each child or qualifying young person for whom the claimant is responsible (“A”), taking the earliest date first—

(a) where the claimant, or if the claimant is a member of a couple, the other member, is A's parent or step-parent (in either case, other than by adoption), A's date of birth; or

(b) in any other case, the date on which the claimant became responsible for A (or in the case of joint claimants where each of them became responsible for A on a different date, the earlier date).

(2) In a case where—

(a) the date in relation to two or more children or qualifying young persons for whom the claimant is responsible (as determined under paragraph (1)) is the same date; or

(b) a claimant gave birth to a child less than 10 months after becoming responsible for a child or qualifying young person to whom paragraph 4 of Schedule 12 (non-parental caring arrangements) applies,

the order of those children or qualifying young persons (as between themselves only) in the claimant's household is the order determined by the Department that ensures that the amount mentioned in Article 15(1) of the Order is available in respect of the greatest number of children or qualifying young persons.

(3) In this regulation and Schedule 12, “claimant” means a single claimant or either of joint claimants.]

Textual Amendments

F2 Regs. 25A, 25B inserted (coming into force in accordance with reg. 1(3) of the amending Rule) by The Social Security (Restrictions on Amounts for Children and Qualifying Young Persons) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (S.R. 2017/79), regs. 1(3), 2(3)