Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 7)

Part VII Income-Related Benefits

General

133 Interpretation of Part VII and supplementary provisions

(1) In this Part of this Act—

• “child” means a person under the age of 16;

• “the Executive” means the Northern Ireland Housing Executive;

• “family” means—

  (a)

  a married or unmarried couple;

  (b)

  a married or unmarried couple and a member of the same household for whom one of them is or both are responsible and who is a child or a person of a prescribed description;

  (c)

  except in prescribed circumstances, a person who is not a member of a married or unmarried couple and a member of the same household for whom that person is responsible and who is a child or a person of a prescribed description;

• “industrial injuries regulations” means the regulations made under Schedule 8 to this Act or section 150 of the 1975 Act or under the Old Cases Act;

• “married couple” means a man and woman who are married to each other and are members of the same household;

• “prescribed” means specified in or determined in accordance with regulations;

• “unmarried couple” means a man and woman who are not married to each other but are living together as husband and wife otherwise than in prescribed circumstances;

• “war pension scheme” means a scheme under which war pensions (as defined in section 25(4) of the [1989 c. 24.] Social Security Act 1989) are provided.

(2) Regulations may make provision for the purposes of this Part of this Act—

(a) as to circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being in Northern Ireland;

(b) continuing a person’s entitlement to benefit during periods of temporary absence from Northern Ireland;

(c) as to what is or is not to be treated as remunerative work or as employment;

(d) as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as—

(i) engaged or normally engaged in remunerative work;

(ii) available for employment; or

(iii) actively seeking employment;

(e) as to what is or is not to be treated as relevant education;

(f) as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as receiving relevant education;

(g) specifying the descriptions of pension increases under war pension schemes or the industrial injuries regulations that are analogous to the benefits mentioned in section 128(2)(b)(i) to (iii) above;

(h) as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as occupying a dwelling as his home;

(i) for treating any person who is liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling as if he were not so liable;

(j) for treating any person who is not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling as if he were so liable;

(k) for treating as included in a dwelling any land used for the purposes of the dwelling;

(l) as to circumstances in which persons are to be treated as being or not being members of the same household;

(m) as to circumstances in which one person is to be treated as responsible or not responsible for another.