(1)The Department may with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel make arrangements with the Secretary of State (“the joint arrangements”) for co-ordinating the operation of the legislation to which this section applies with a view to securing that, to the extent allowed for in the arrangements, it provides a single system of social security for the United Kingdom.
(2)The responsibility of the Joint Authority shall include that of giving effect to the joint arrangements, with power—
(a)to make any necessary financial adjustments between the Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund and the National Insurance Fund; and
(b)to discharge such other functions as may be provided under the joint arrangements.
(3)The Department may make regulations for giving effect to the joint arrangements; and any such regulations may for the purposes of the arrangements provide—
(a)for adapting legislation (including subordinate legislation) for the time being in force in Northern Ireland so as to secure its reciprocal operation with Great Britain;
(b)without prejudice to paragraph (a) above, for securing that acts, omissions and events having any effect for the purposes of the enactments in force in Great Britain have a corresponding effect in relation to Northern Ireland (but not so as to confer any double benefit); and
(c)for determining, in cases where rights accrue both in relation to Northern Ireland and in relation to Great Britain, which of those rights shall be available to the person concerned.
(4)This section applies—
(a)to the Contributions and Benefits Act [F1, the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995] and this Act; and
(b)to the Great Britain Contributions and Benefits Act [F2, the Jobseekers Act 1995]and the Great Britain Administration Act,
except in relation to the following benefits—
(i)income support;
[F3(ia)income-based jobseeker’s allowance;]
(ii)family credit;
(iii)disability working allowance;
(iv)housing benefit;
(v)child benefit;
(vi)Christmas bonus;
(vii)statutory sick pay;
(viii)statutory maternity pay.
(5)Nothing in this Act prejudices the making of any arrangement by the Department under section 11 of the M1Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 for the exercise and performance by or by officers of a department of the Government of the United Kingdom on behalf of the Department of any of the powers and duties of the Department under this Act.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 153(4)(a) inserted (3.5.1996) by S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15), art. 40(1), Sch. 2 para. 46(2); S.R. 1996/180, art. 2
F2Words in s. 153(4)(b) inserted (3.5.1996) by S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15), art. 40(1), Sch. 2 para. 46(3); S.R. 1996/180, art. 2
F3S. 153(4)(b)(ia) inserted (3.5.1996) by S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15), art. 40(1), Sch. 2 para. 46(4); S.R. 1996/180, art. 2
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 153 applied (with modifications) (7.2.1994) by 1993 c. 49, s. 163(2); S.R. 1994/17, art. 2
Marginal Citations