The weekly rate of a disablement pension shall, if as the result of the relevant loss of faculty the beneficiary is incapable of work and likely to remain so permanently, be increased by the amount specified in Schedule 4, Part V, paragraph 5.

An increase of pension under this paragraph is referred to in this Act as an “unemployability supplement”.

For the purposes of this paragraph a person may be treated as being incapable of work and likely to remain so permanently, notwithstanding that the loss of faculty is not such as to prevent him being capable of work, if it is likely to prevent his earnings in a year exceeding a prescribed amount not less than £104.

An unemployability supplement shall be payable for such period as may be determined at the time it is granted, but may be renewed from time to time.

Where for any period the beneficiary is entitled to a Category A or Category B retirement pension F1... and the weekly rate of the pension includes an additional pension such as is mentioned in section 44(3)(b) above, for that period the relevant amount shall be deducted from the amount that would otherwise be the increase under this paragraph and the beneficiary shall be entitled to an increase only if there is a balance after that deduction and, if there is such a balance, only of an amount equal to it.

In this paragraph “the relevant amount” means an amount equal to the additional pension reduced by the amount of any reduction in the weekly rate of the retirement F1... made by virtue of F2section 42 of the Pensions Act.

In sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) above references to additional pension do not include any amount of additional pension attributable to units of additional pension.

For units of additional pension, see section 14A.

In this paragraph references to an additional pension are references to that pension after any increase under section 52(3) above but without any increase under paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 5 to this Act.

In this paragraph “the qualifying date” means, subject to sub-paragraphs (6) and (7) below, the beginning of the first week for which the beneficiary qualified for unemployability supplement.

If the incapacity for work in respect of which unemployability supplement is payable forms part of a period of interruption of employment which has continued from a date earlier than the date fixed under sub-paragraph (5) above, the qualifying date means the first day in that period which is a day of incapacity for work, or such earlier day as may be prescribed.

Subject to sub-paragraph (6) above, if there have been two or more periods for which the beneficiary was entitled to unemployability supplement, the qualifying date shall be, in relation to unemployability supplement for a day in any one of those periods, the beginning of the first week of that period.

Regulations may provide that sub-paragraph (8) above shall have effect as if for the references to 8 weeks there were substituted references to a larger number of weeks specified in the regulations.

In this paragraph “period of interruption of employment” has the same meaning as F4a jobseeking period and any period linked to such a period has for the purposes of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.

The provisions of this paragraph are subject to F5section 42(6) to (8) (entitlement to guaranteed minimum pensions and increases of unemployability supplement) of the Pensions Act.

Subject to the provisions of this paragraph and paragraph 5 below, the weekly rate of a disablement pension where the beneficiary is entitled to an unemployability supplement shall be increased for any period during which the beneficiary is entitled to child benefit in respect of F7one or more children or qualifying young persons.

The amount of the increase shall be as specified in Schedule 4, Part V, paragraph 7.

The Department may by order substitute larger amounts for the amounts for the time being specified in sub-paragraph (4) above.

In this paragraph “week” means such period of 7 days as may be prescribed by regulations made for the purposes of this paragraph.

The amount of the increase under this paragraph shall be that specified in Schedule 4, Part V, paragraph 8 and the requisite rate for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) above is a weekly rate not less than that amount.

Regulations may, in a case within sub-paragraph (1)(b) above in which the person there referred to is residing with the beneficiary and fulfils such further conditions as may be prescribed, authorise an increase of benefit under this paragraph, but subject, taking account of the earnings of the person residing with the beneficiary, other than such of that person’s earnings from employment by the beneficiary as may be prescribed, to provisions comparable to those that may be made by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) above.

Regulations under this paragraph may, in connection with any reduction or extinguishment of an increase in benefit in respect of earnings, prescribe the method of calculating or estimating the earnings.

A beneficiary shall not be entitled to an increase of benefit under this paragraph in respect of more than one person for the same period.

Except as may be prescribed, any reference to earnings in paragraph 4 or 6 above includes a reference to payments by way of occupational or personal pension.

For the purposes of those paragraphs, the Department may by regulations provide, in relation to cases where payments by way of occupational or personal pension are made otherwise than weekly, that any necessary apportionment of the payments shall be made in such manner and on such basis as may be prescribed.

In this paragraph the earnings which are relevant to any week are those earnings of the relevant earner which, apart from this paragraph, would be taken into account in determining whether the beneficiary is entitled to the increase in question for that week.