Part XV General

Supplementary

167 Interpretation

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

• “the Assembly” means the Northern Ireland Assembly;

• “the 1975 Act” means the [1975 c. 15.] Social Security (Northern Ireland) Act 1975;

• “benefit” means benefit under the Contributions and Benefits Act;

• “Christmas bonus” means a payment under Part X of the Contributions and Benefits Act;

• “claimant” (in relation to contributions under Part I and to benefit under Parts II to IV of the Contributions and Benefits Act) means—

  (a)

  a person whose right to be excepted from liability to pay, or to have his liability deferred for, or to be credited with, a contribution, is in question;

  (b)

  a person who has claimed benefit;

  and includes, in relation to an award or decision, a beneficiary under the award or affected by the decision;

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

• “claimant” (in relation to industrial injuries benefit) means a person who has claimed such a benefit and includes—

  (a)

  an applicant for a declaration under section 42 above that an accident was or was not an industrial accident; and

  (b)

  in relation to an award or decision, a beneficiary under the award or affected by the decision;

• “Commissioner” means the Chief Social Security Commissioner or any other Social Security Commissioner and includes a Tribunal of 2 or 3 Commissioners constituted under section 55 above;

• “compensation payment” has the meaning assigned by section 77 above;

• “compensator” has the meaning assigned by section 78 above;

• “the Consequential Provisions Act” means the [1992 c. 9.] Social Security (Consequential Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

• “Consolidated Fund” means the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland;

• “contribution card” has the meaning assigned to it by section 108(6) above;

• “the Contributions and Benefits Act” means the [1992 c. 7.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

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

• “the Department of the Environment” means the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland;

• “the Department of Finance and Personnel” means the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland;

• “disablement benefit” is to be construed in accordance with section 94(2)(a) of the Contributions and Benefits Act;

• “the disablement questions” is to be construed in accordance with section 43 above;

• “dwelling” means any residential accommodation, whether or not consisting of the whole or part of a building and whether or not comprising separate and self-contained premises;

• “the Great Britain Administration Act” means the [1992 c. 5.] Social Security Administration Act 1992;

• “the Great Britain Contributions and Benefits Act” means the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992;

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

• “income-related benefit” means—

  (a)

  income support;

  (b)

  family credit;

  (c)

  disability working allowance; and

  (d)

  housing benefit;

• “industrial injuries benefit” means benefit under Part V of the Contributions and Benefits Act, other than under Schedule 8;

• “invalidity benefit” has the meaning assigned to it by section 20(1)(c) of that Act;

• “Joint Authority” means the Head of the Department and the Secretary of State;

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

• “medical practitioner” means—

  (a)

  a registered medical practitioner; or

  (b)

  a person outside the United Kingdom who is not a registered medical practitioner, but has qualifications corresponding (in the Department’s opinion) to those of a registered medical practitioner;

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

• “National Insurance Fund” means the Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund;

• “occupational pension scheme” has the same meaning as in Article 2(2) of the Pensions Order;

• “the Old Cases Act” means the [1975 c. 17.] Industrial Injuries and Diseases (Northern Ireland Old Cases) Act 1975;

• “Old Cases payments” means payments under Part I of Schedule 8 to the Contributions and Benefits Act;

• “the 1986 Order” means the [S.I. 1986/1888 (N.I. 18).] Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1986;

• “the Pensions Order” means the [S.I. 1975/1503 (N.I. 15).] Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975;

• “personal pension scheme” has the meaning assigned to it by Article 2(2) of the 1986 Order;

• “prescribe” means prescribe by regulations;

• “President” means the President of social security appeal tribunals, medical appeal tribunals and disability appeal tribunals;

• “regulations” means regulations made by the Department or the Lord Chancellor under this Act;

• “statutory provision” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(f) of the [1954 c. 33 (N.I.).] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 ;

• “tax year” means the 12 months beginning with 6th April in any year;

• “widow’s benefit” has the meaning assigned to it by section 20(1)(e) of the Contributions and Benefits Act.

(2) For the purposes of Part III of the [1973 c. 36.] Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 (validity of Measures of the Northern Ireland Assembly, including Orders in Council under the [1974 c. 28.] Northern Ireland Act 1974), provisions of this Act which re-enact provisions of a Measure of the Assembly or such an Order are to be treated as provisions of such a Measure or Order.