PART 1INTRODUCTION

Citation, commencement and effect1

1

This Order may be cited as the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2018, and subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), shall come into operation for the purposes of—

a

this Article and Articles 2, 7 and 11, on 1st April 2018;

b

Article 3—

i

in so far as it relates to any increase to which Article 7(9)(b) applies, on 1st April 2018, and

ii

for all other purposes, on 9th April 2018;

c

Articles 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20, on 9th April 2018;

d

Article 8, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 1st April 2018, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Computation of Earnings Regulations;

e

Articles 9, 17 and 18 on 6th April 2018;

f

Article 10, on 1st April 2018, except for the purpose of determining the rate of maternity allowance in accordance with section 35A(1)5 of the Contributions and Benefits Act (appropriate weekly rate of maternity allowance under section 35), for which purpose it shall come into operation on 9th April 2018;

g

Articles 21 and 22, in so far as they relate to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 9th April 2018, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the Income Support Regulations;

h

Articles 23 and 24, in relation to a case where rent is payable at intervals of a week or any multiple thereof, on 2nd April 2018, and in relation to any other case, on 1st April 2018;

i

Article 25, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 9th April 2018, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

j

Article 26, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 9th April 2018, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the State Pension Credit Regulations;

k

Article 27, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 9th April 2018, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the Employment and Support Regulations 2008;

l

Article 28, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 9th April 2018, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2016;

m

Article 29, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first assessment period to commence for that beneficiary on or after 9th April 2018, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “assessment period” has the same meaning as in Article 12(2) of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 20156; and

n

Article 30, on 8th May 2018.

2

In so far as Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19 and 28 relate to a beneficiary in favour of whom an award of universal credit is in force, those Articles shall come into operation for the purposes of determining the beneficiary’s unearned income in relation to that award on the same day as Article 29 comes into operation for that beneficiary.

3

The changes made in the sums specified for rates or amounts of benefit in Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13 and 14 shall take effect for each case on the date specified in relation to that case in Article 7.

Interpretation2

1

In this Order—

  • “the Administration Act” means the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

  • “the Contributions and Benefits Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 19927;

  • “the Pensions Act” means the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 20158;

  • “the Pension Schemes Act” means the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 19939;

  • “the Computation of Earnings Regulations” means the Social Security Benefit (Computation of Earnings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 199610;

  • “the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200811;

  • “the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2016” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 201612;

  • “the Great Britain Up-rating Order” means the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2018;

  • “the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200613;

  • “the Housing Benefit (SPC) Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200614;

  • “the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 198715;

  • “the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 199616;

  • “the State Pension Credit Regulations” means the State Pension Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200317; and

  • “the Universal Credit Regulations” means the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 201618.

2

Subject to paragraph (3), the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 195419 shall apply to this Order as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

3

For the purposes of this Order and notwithstanding section 39(2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, where a period of time is expressed to begin on, or to be reckoned from, a particular day, that day shall be included in the period.