Future payments
Power to provide for payments
9.—(1) The Department may make regulations providing for the making of payments by it to persons who have attained the age of 60 years.
(2) Regulations under paragraph (1) may provide for payments to be made—
(a)to persons in a specified class (which may be defined by reference to age or otherwise);
(b)in specified circumstances.
(3) Regulations under paragraph (1) may, in particular—
(a)provide for payments to be made only once, at specified times or over a specified period,
(b)provide for exceptions, and
(c)apply (with or without modifications) a statutory provision relating to social security (including, in particular, a statutory provision relating to claims, payments, evidence, revision of decisions, appeals or recovery of payment in error).
(4) Regulations under this Article shall be laid before the Assembly after being made and shall take effect on such date as may be specified in the regulations, but shall (without prejudice to the validity of anything done thereunder or to the making of new regulations) cease to have effect upon the expiration of a period of six months from that date unless at some time before the expiration of that period the regulations have been approved by a resolution of the Assembly.
(5) In section 149(5) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8) (functions of Social Security Advisory Committee in relation to legislation and regulations) in the definition of “the relevant enactments” after paragraph (ah) insert—
“(ai)Article 9 of the Age-Related Payments (Northern Ireland) Order 2004;”.
(6) In section 170(5) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c. 5) (Social Security Advisory Committee) in the definition of “the relevant Northern Ireland enactments” after paragraph (ah) insert—
“(ai)Article 9 of the Age-Related Payments (Northern Ireland) Order 2004.”.