(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations provide for deductions to be made from income support, state pension credit, jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance where a fine has been imposed upon a person (the debtor) by a court to meet the sums due in respect of such fines.
The Regulations further provide for deductions to be made in respect of one application at a time, establishes the circumstances in which deductions should cease and that the payment of deduction shall be made at intervals of 13 weeks by the Department for Communities to the court.
Regulation 5 makes supplemental amendments to the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(1) to include these fines in the priority order of debt.
Provisions for appeal can be found in section 14(6) of the Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.