The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2017

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order, which corresponds to an Order (S.I. 2017/260) made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under sections 150, 150A and 151A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992, alters the rates and amounts of certain social security benefits and other sums.

Part 2 relates to social security benefits, pensions and allowances.

Article 3 and Schedule 1 alter the rates of benefits and increases of benefit (except those referred to in Article 3(2)) specified in Parts I, III, IV and V of Schedule 4 to the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (“the Contributions and Benefits Act”).

Article 4 increases the rates and amounts of certain pensions and allowances under the Contributions and Benefits Act.

Article 5 increases the sums payable as part of a Category A or Category B retirement pension under sections 11(1) and 13(2) and (3) of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993 (“the Pension Schemes Act”) on account of increases in guaranteed minimum pensions.

Article 6 increases the rates and amounts relating to the state pension under Part 1 of the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (“the Pensions Act”) including the full rate, amounts exceeding the full rate, the rate of increments and inherited increments.

Article 7 specifies the dates from which the sums specified for rates or amounts of benefit under Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13 and 14 are changed.

Article 8 specifies earnings limits for child dependency increases.

Article 9 increases the rate of statutory sick pay.

Article 10 increases the rate of statutory maternity pay.

Article 11 increases the rates of statutory paternity pay, statutory adoption pay and statutory shared parental pay.

Article 12 increases the rate of graduated retirement benefit.

Article 13 increases the amount of a Category C retirement pension.

Article 14 increases the prescribed maximum additional pension for the purposes of section 52(3) of the Contributions and Benefits Act.

Article 15 increases the rates of disability living allowance.

Article 16 increases the rates of personal independence payment.

Article 17 increases the rates of age addition and the rates referred to in Article 17(2) for claimants entitled to long-term incapacity benefit.

Article 18 increases the rates of transitional invalidity allowance and the rates referred to in Article 18(2) for claimants entitled to long-term incapacity benefit.

Article 19 increases the rates of widowed mother’s allowance, widow’s pension, widowed parent’s allowance and bereavement allowance.

Part 3 relates to income support and housing benefit.

Article 20 sets out the sums relevant to the applicable amount for the purposes of income support. Article 20(3) and Schedule 2 set out the personal allowances; Article 20(4) and (5) and Schedule 3 set out the premiums; and Article 20(7) and Schedule 4 set out other miscellaneous amounts.

Article 21 provides for the percentage increase of sums payable by way of special transitional additions to income support.

Article 22 sets out the sums relevant to the applicable amount for the purposes of housing benefit. Article 22(6) and Schedule 5 set out the personal allowances and Article 22(8) and Schedule 6 set out the premiums.

Article 23 sets out the sums relevant to the applicable amount for the purposes of housing benefit for persons over the qualifying age for state pension credit. Article 23(5) and Schedule 7 set out the personal allowances and Article 23(6) and (7) and Schedule 8 set out the premiums.

Part 4 relates to jobseeker’s allowance.

Article 24 sets out the sums relevant to the applicable amount for the purposes of income-based jobseeker’s allowance. Article 24(3) and Schedule 9 set out the personal allowances; Article 24(4) and (5) and Schedule 10 set out the premiums; Article 24(6) and Schedule 11 set out the amounts of premiums relevant to joint-claim couples; and Article 24(8) and Schedule 12 set out other miscellaneous amounts.

Part 5 relates to state pension credit.

Article 25 and Schedule 13 specify sums relevant to state pension credit.

Part 6 relates to employment and support allowance.

Article 26 sets out the sums relevant to the applicable amount for the purposes of employment and support allowance under the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008. Article 26(2) and Schedule 14 set out the premiums; Article 26(3) increases the support component; and Article 26(5) and Schedule 15 set out other miscellaneous amounts.

Article 27 increases the support component for employment and support allowance under the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.

Part 7 relates to universal credit.

Article 28 and Schedules 16 and 17 specify the amounts relevant to universal credit.

Article 29 revokes the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 save for Articles 16(3), 18, 19(5) and (8)(a), 21, 22(3), 23, 25(2) and (4)(a) and Schedules 2, 5, 9 and 14, which relate to amounts frozen under section 8 of the Welfare Reform and Work (Northern Ireland) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/999 (N.I. 1)). Article 29 also provides for the revocation of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2016.