Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992

InterpretationE+W+S

122 Interpretation of Parts I to VI and supplementary provisions.E+W+S

(1)In Parts I to V above and this Part of this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

  • [F1“additional Class 4 percentage” is to be construed in accordance with section 15(3ZA)(b) above;]

  • [F1“additional primary percentage” is to be construed in accordance with section 8(2)(b) above;]

  • [F2“Bank of England base rate” means—

    (a)

    the rate announced from time to time by the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England as the official dealing rate, being the rate at which the Bank is willing to enter into transactions for providing short term liquidity in the money markets, or

    (b)

    where an order under section 19 of the Bank of England Act 1998 is in force, any equivalent rate determined by the Treasury under that section;]

  • “beneficiary”, in relation to any benefit, means the person entitled to that benefit;

  • “benefit” means—

    (a)

    benefit under Parts II to V of this Act other than Old Cases payments;

    (b)

    as respects any period before 1st July 1992 but not before 6th April 1975, benefit under Part II of the 1975 Act; or

    (c)

    as respects any period before 6th April 1975, benefit under—

    (i)

    the M1National Insurance Act 1946 M2 or 1965; or

    (ii)

    the M3National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act 1946 M4 or 1965;

  • [F3“the benefits code” has the meaning given by section 63(1) of ITEPA 2003;]

  • [F4“child” has the same meaning as in Part 9 of this Act;]

  • “claim” is to be construed in accordance with “claimant”;

  • “claimant”, in relation to benefit other than industrial injuries benefit, means a person who has claimed benefit;

  • “claimant”, in relation to industrial injuries benefit, means a person who has claimed industrial injuries benefit;

  • “contract of service” means any contract of service or apprenticeship whether written or oral and whether express or implied;

  • [F5“contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance” has the same meaning as in the Jobseekers Act 1995;]

  • “current”, in relation to the lower and upper earnings limits [F6and primary and secondary thresholds] under section 5(1) above, means for the time being in force;

  • [F7“day of interruption of employment” has the meaning given by section 25A(1)(c) above;]

  • [F8“deferred” and “period of deferment”—

    (a)

    in relation to a Category A or Category B retirement pension, have the meanings given by section 55(3), and

    (b)

    in relation to a shared additional pension, have the meanings given by section 55C(3);]

  • “earner” and “earnings” are to be construed in accordance with sections 3, 4 and 112 above;

  • “employed earner” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 above;

  • “employment” includes any trade, business, profession, office or vocation and “employed” has a corresponding meaning;

  • [F3“the employment income Parts of ITEPA 2003” means Parts 2 to [F97A] of that Act;]

  • “entitled”, in relation to any benefit, is to be construed in accordance with—

    (a)

    the provisions specifically relating to that benefit;

    (b)

    in the case of a benefit specified in section 20(1) above, section 21 above; and

    (c)

    sections 1 to 3 [F10of the Administration Act and section 27 of the Social Security Act 1998];

  • [F3“excluded employment” has the meaning given by section 63(4) of ITEPA 2003;]

  • [F11“first appointed year” means such tax year, no earlier than 2002-03, as may be appointed by order, and “second appointed year” means such subsequent tax year as may be so appointed;]

  • [F12“the flat rate introduction year” means such tax year as may be designated as such by order;]

  • [F3“general earnings” has the meaning given by section 7 of ITEPA 2003 and accordingly sections 3 and 112 of this Act do not apply in relation to the word “earnings” when used in the expression “general earnings”;]

  • “industrial injuries benefit” means benefit under Part V of this Act, other than under Schedule 8;

  • F13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • “the Inland Revenue” means the Commissioners of Inland Revenue;

  • [F3“ITEPA 2003” means the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003;]

  • “late husband”, in relation to a woman who has been more than once married, means her last husband;

  • “long-term benefit” has the meaning assigned to it by section 20(2) above;

  • “loss of physical faculty” includes disfigurement whether or not accompanied by any loss of physical faculty;

  • [F14“lower earnings limit”, “upper earnings limit” [F15"primary threshold” and “secondary threshold"] are to be construed in accordance with subsection (1) of section 5 above, and references to the lower or upper earnings limit, or to [F16the primary or secondary] threshold, of a tax year are to whatever is (or was) for that year the limit or threshold in force under that subsection;]

  • F13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • [F17“main Class 4 percentage” is to be construed in accordance with section 15(3ZA) above;]

  • [F17“main primary percentage” is to be construed in accordance with section 8(2) above;]

  • “medical examination” includes bacteriological and radiographical tests and similar investigations, and “medically examined” has a corresponding meaning;

  • “medical treatment” means medical, surgical or rehabilitative treatment (including any course or diet or other regimen), and references to a person receiving or submitting himself to medical treatment are to be construed accordingly;

  • “the Northern Ireland Department” means the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland;

  • “Old Cases payments” means payments under Part I or II of Schedule 8 to this Act;

  • [F18“PAYE settlement agreement” has the same meaning as in [F19Chapter 5 of Part 11 of ITEPA 2003];]

  • “payments by way of occupational or personal pension” means, in relation to a person, periodical payments which, in connection with the coming to an end of an employment of his, fall to be made to him-

    (a)

    out of money provided wholly or partly by the employer or under arrangements made by the employer; or

    (b)

    out of money provided under an enactment or instrument having the force of law in any part of the United Kingdom or elsewhere; or

    (c)

    under a personal pension scheme as defined in section 84(1) of the 1986 Act; or

    (d)

    [F20under a pension scheme registered under section 153 of the Finance Act 2004; or]

    and such other payments as are prescribed;

  • [F21“pensionable age” has the meaning given by the rules in paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 to the Pensions Act 1995];

  • “pneumoconiosis” means fibrosis of the lungs due to silica dust, asbestos dust, or other dust, and includes the condition of the lungs known as dust-reticulation;

  • [F22“PPF periodic payments” means—

    (a)

    any periodic compensation payments made in relation to a person, payable under the pension compensation provisions as specified in section 162(2) of the Pensions Act 2004 or Article 146(2) of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (the pension compensation provisions); or

    (b)

    any periodic payments made in relation to a person, payable under section 166 of the Pensions Act 2004 or Article 150 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (duty to pay scheme benefits unpaid at assessment date etc.);]

  • “prescribe” means prescribe by regulations;

  • F23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • “qualifying earnings factor” means an earnings factor equal to the lower earnings limit for the tax year in question multiplied by 52;

  • [F24“qualifying young person” has the same meaning as in Part 9 of this Act;]

  • [F25“Regulation (EC) No 1408/71” means Council Regulation (EC) No 1408/71 of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community;

  • “Regulation (EC) No 883/2004” means Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security systems;]

  • “relative” includes a person who is a relative by marriage [F26or civil partnership];

  • “relevant accident” means the accident in respect of which industrial injuries benefit is claimed or payable;

  • “relevant injury” means the injury in respect of which industrial injuries benefit is claimed or payable;

  • “relevant loss of faculty” means—

    (a)

    F27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    (b)

    in relation to industrial injuries benefit, the loss of faculty resulting from the relevant injury;

  • [F28“secondary percentage” is to be construed in accordance with section 9(2) above;]

  • “self-employed earner” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 above;

  • “short-term benefit” has the meaning assigned to it by section 20(2) above;

  • “tax week” means one of the successive periods in a tax year beginning with the first day of that year and every seventh day thereafter, the last day of a tax year (or, in the case of a tax year ending in a leap year, the last two days) to be treated accordingly as a separate tax week;

  • “tax year” means the 12 months beginning with 6th April in any year, the expression “1978-79” meaning the tax year beginning with 6th April 1978, and any correspondingly framed reference to a pair of successive years being construed as a reference to the tax year beginning with 6th April in the earlier of them;

  • “trade or business” includes, in relation to a public or local authority, the exercise and performance of the powers and duties of that authority;

  • “trade union” means an association of employed earners;

  • [F29“the upper accrual point” is £770;]

  • “week” F30... means a period of 7 days beginning with Sunday;

  • [F31“working life” has the meaning given by paragraph 5(8) of Schedule 3 to this Act].

F32(1A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)Regulations [F33made by the Treasury with the concurrence of the Secretary of State] may make provision modifying the meaning of “employment” for the purposes of any provision of Parts I to V and this Part of this Act.

(3)Provision may be made [F34by the Treasury by regulations made with the concurrence of the Secretary of State] as to the circumstances in which a person is to be treated as residing or not residing with another person for any of the purposes of Parts I to V and this Part of this Act and as to the circumstances in which persons are to be treated for any of those purposes as residing or not residing together.

(4)A person who is residing with his spouse shall be treated for the purposes of Parts I to V and this Part of this Act as entitled to any child benefit to which his spouse is entitled.

(5)Regulations may, for the purposes of any provision of those Parts under which the right to any benefit or increase of benefit depends on a person being or having been entitled to child benefit, make provision whereby a person is to be treated as if he were or had been so entitled or as if he were not or had not been so entitled.

(6)For the purposes of Parts I to V and this Part of this Act a person is “permanently incapable of self-support” if (but only if) he is incapable of supporting himself by reason of physical or mental infirmity and is likely to remain so incapable for the remainder of his life.

[F35(6A)The Treasury may by regulations prescribe an equivalent of the upper accrual point in relation to earners paid otherwise than weekly (and references in this or any other Act to “the prescribed equivalent”, in the context of the upper accrual point, are to the equivalent prescribed under this subsection in relation to such earners).

(6B)The power conferred by subsection (6A) includes power to prescribe an amount which exceeds by not more than £1 the amount which is the arithmetical equivalent of the upper accrual point.]

F36(7). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F36(8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Words in s. 122(1) inserted (with effect in relation to the tax year 2003-04 and subsequent tax years) by National Insurance Contributions Act 2002 (c. 19), s. 8(2), Sch. 1 para. 12(2)

F2Words in s. 122(1) inserted (18.11.2004 for specified purposes, 6.4.2005 in so far as not already in force) by Pensions Act 2004 (c. 35), s. 322(3)(a), Sch. 11 para. 18(a)

F3Words in s. 122(1) inserted (6.4.2003 with effect in accordance with s. 723(1)(a)(b) of the amending Act) by Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (c. 1), s. 723, Sch. 6 para. 178(2) (with Sch. 7)

F4Words in s. 122(1) substituted (10.4.2006) by Child Benefit Act 2005 (c. 6), s. 6(2), Sch. 1 para. 8(2)

F5Words in s. 122(1) inserted (7.10.1996) by Jobseekers Act 1995 (c. 18), s. 41(2), Sch. 2 para. 29; S.I. 1996/2208, art. 2(b)

F8Words in s. 122(1) substituted (18.11.2004 for specified purposes, 6.4.2005 in so far as not already in force) by Pensions Act 2004 (c. 35), s. 322(3)(a), Sch. 11 para. 18(b)

F9Word in s. 122(1) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 2 paras. 52-59 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2011 (c. 11), Sch. 2 para. 50(a)

F10Words in s. 122(1) substituted (5.7.1999 for specified purposes, 6.9.1999 for specified purposes, 18.10.1999 for specified purposes, 29.11.1999 for specified purposes) by Social Security Act 1998 (c. 14), s. 87(2), Sch. 7 para. 71(a); S.I. 1999/1958, art. 2(1)(b), Sch. 1 (with arts. 3-5); S.I. 1999/2422, art. 2(c), Sch. 1 (with Sch. 14); S.I. 1999/2860, art. 2(c), Sch. 1 (with Schs. 16-18); S.I. 1999/3178, art. 2(1)(a)(2), Sch. 1 (with Schs. 21-23)

F11Words in s. 122(1) inserted (8.1.2001 for specified purposes, 25.1.2001 for specified purposes, 6.4.2002 in so far as not already in force) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 (c. 19), ss. 35(14), 86(1)(b)(2); S.I. 2000/2950, art. 6; S.I. 2001/153, art. 2(a)

F12Words in s. 122(1) inserted (26.9.2007) by Pensions Act 2007 (c. 22), ss. 11(4), 30(3)

F17Words in s. 122(1) inserted (with effect in relation to the tax year 2003-04 and subsequent tax years) by National Insurance Contributions Act 2002 (c. 19), s. 8(2), Sch. 1 para. 12(3)

F18Words in s. 122(1) inserted (8.9.1998 for specified purposes, 6.4.1999 in so far as not already in force) by Social Security Act 1998 (c. 14), s. 87(2), Sch. 7 para. 71(d); S.I. 1998/2209, art. 2(b)(c), Sch. Pts. 2, 3

F19Words in s. 122(1) substituted (6.4.2003 with effect in accordance with s. 723(1)(a)(b) of the amending Act) by Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (c. 1), s. 723, Sch. 6 para. 178(3) (with Sch. 7)

F21Words in s. 122(1) substituted (19.7.1995) by Pensions Act 1995 (c. 26), s. 180(2)(a), Sch. 4 para. 13(a)

F23Words in s. 122(1) repealed (with effect in relation to the tax year 2003-04 and subsequent tax years) by National Insurance Contributions Act 2002 (c. 19), ss. 7, 8(2), Sch. 2

F24Words in s. 122(1) inserted (10.4.2006) by Child Benefit Act 2005 (c. 6), s. 6(2), Sch. 1 para. 8(3)

F27Words in s. 122(1) repealed (with savings for those entitled to severe disablement allowance for days immediately before 6.4.2001) (3.11.2000 for specified purposes, 6.4.2001 in so far as not already in force) by Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c. 30), s. 89(1), Sch. 13 Pt. IV; S.I. 2000/2958, art. 2(3)(g)(4)(5) (with art. 4)

F28Words in s. 122(1) inserted (with effect in relation to the tax year 2003-04 and subsequent tax years) by National Insurance Contributions Act 2002 (c. 19), s. 8(2), Sch. 1 para. 12(4)

F29Words in s. 122(1) substituted (21.9.2008) by National Insurance Contributions Act 2008 (c. 16), ss. 3(4)(a), 6(1)

F30Words in s. 122(1) repealed (8.4.2003) by Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21), s. 61, Sch. 6; S.I. 2003/962, art. 2(4)(e), Sch. 2 (with art. 3)

F31Words in s. 122(1) inserted (19.7.1995) by Pensions Act 1995 (c. 26), ss. 134(4), 180(2)(a) (with Sch. 4)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1S. 122: power to modify conferred (1.7.1992) by Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c. 5), ss. 73(4), 192(4)

Marginal Citations