These Regulations amend the State Pension Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”).

Regulation 2(2) amends regulation 6 of the 2003 Regulations, to provide for the payment of an additional amount to a pension credit claimant entitled to the standard minimum guarantee, where that claimant is responsible for a child or qualifying young person and does not have an award of a tax credit.

Regulation 2(3) inserts a new Schedule 2A into the 2003 Regulations which:

• applies to a claimant who is responsible for a “child” or “qualifying young person” (paragraph 1);

• defines the terms “child” and “qualifying young person” (paragraph 2);

• sets out the circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as responsible for a child or qualifying young person (paragraphs 3 to 8);

• specifies the additional amount of benefit applicable to a claimant where he or she is responsible for a child or qualifying young person; the amount is increased if the child or qualifying young person is entitled to a disability living allowance or personal independence payment or if they are certified as severely sight impaired or blind (paragraph 9); and

• provides for a higher amount to be payable where the eldest child or qualifying young person was born before 6th April 2017 (paragraph 10).

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8), are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.