The Social Security Benefits Up-rating (No. 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2023

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order revokes and re-enacts the provisions of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2023 which would otherwise cease to have effect by virtue of section 166 (1) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992.It also revokes the Social Security Benefits Up-rating (No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2023 which included the childcare costs element of Universal Credit which had subsequently been up-rated from 28th June 2023 by the Universal Credit (Childcare) (Amendment) (Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 (S.R. 2023 No. 90). This Order, which corresponds to an Order (S.I. 2023/316) made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under sections 150, 150A, 151 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 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 including the full rate, amounts exceeding the full rate, the rate of increments and inherited increments.

Article 7 specifies earnings limits for child dependency increases.

Article 8 increases the rate of statutory sick pay.

Article 9 increases the rate of statutory maternity pay.

Article 10 increases the rates of statutory paternity pay, statutory adoption pay and statutory shared parental pay.

Article 11 increases the rate of graduated retirement benefit.

Article 12 increases the amount of a Category C retirement pension.

Article 13 increases the prescribed maximum additional pension for the purposes of section 52(3) of the Contributions and Benefits Act.

Article 14 increases the rates of disability living allowance.

Article 15 increases the rates of personal independence payment.

Article 16 increases the rates of age addition and the rates referred to in Article 17(2) for claimants entitled to long-term incapacity benefit in so far as they correspond to a claimant in Great Britain who was subject to regulation 2(3) of the Employment and Support Allowance (Up-rating Modification) (Transitional) Regulations 2008.

Article 17 increases the rates of transitional invalidity allowance and the rates referred to in Article 18(2) for claimants entitled to long-term incapacity benefit in so far as they correspond to a claimant in Great Britain who was subject to regulation 2(3) of the Employment and Support Allowance (Up-rating Modification) (Transitional) Regulations 2008.

Article 18 increases the rates of widowed mother’s allowance, widow’s pension and widowed parent’s allowance.

Article 19 specifies the rates of bereavement support payment.

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 21(3) and Schedule 2 sets out certain personal allowances and Article 21(4) and (5) and Schedule 3 set out the premiums.

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

Article 22 states the sum by which any income support of a person involved in a trade dispute is reduced.

Article 23 sets out the sums relevant to the applicable amount for the purposes of housing benefit. Article 23(5) and Schedule 4 sets out certain personal allowances and Article 23(7) and Schedule 5 set out the premiums.

Article 24 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 24(5) and Schedule 6 set out the personal allowances and Article 24(6) and (7) and Schedule 7 set out the premiums.

Part 4 relates to jobseeker’s allowance.

Article 25 increases the age-related amounts for contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance.

Article 26 sets out the sums relevant to the applicable amount for the purposes of income-based jobseeker’s allowance. Article 26(3) and Schedule 8 sets out certain personal allowances; Article 26(4) and (5) and Schedule 9 set out the premiums; Article 26(6) and Schedule 10 set out the amounts of premiums relevant to joint-claim couples.

Article 27 states the sum by which any jobseeker’s allowance of a person involved in a trade dispute is reduced.

Article 28 increases the amounts of jobseeker’s allowance for the purposes of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.

Part 5 relates to state pension credit.

Article 29 specifies sums relevant to state pension credit.

Part 6 relates to employment and support allowance.

Article 30 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 30(2) and (3) and Schedule 11 increase the contributory allowance of employment and support allowance and the prescribed amounts for income-related employment and support allowance; Article 30(4) and (5) and Schedule 12 sets out the premiums and Article 30(6) increases the components.

Article 31 increases the prescribed amounts for employment and support allowance set out in regulation 62 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.

Part 7 relates to universal credit.

Article 32 and Schedule 13 specify certain amounts relevant to universal credit.

Article 33 revokes the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2023 (S.R. 2023 No. 43) and the Social Security Benefits Up-rating (No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2023 (S.R. 2023 No. 143).