Citation, commencement and interpretationU.K.

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Maternity Allowance) Regulations 1987 and shall come into force on 6th April 1987.

(2) In these Regulations —

the Act” means the Social Security Act 1975;

the 1986 Act” means the Social Security Act 1986.

(3) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in any of these regulations —

(a)to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph bearing that number in that regulation; and

(b)in these Regulations to a Schedule is to the Schedule to these Regulations.

[F1Disapplication of section 1(1A) of the Administration ActU.K.

[F21A.  Section 1(1A) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (requirement to state a national insurance number) shall not apply to an adult dependant who—

(a)is a person in respect of whom a claim for an increase of maternity allowance is made;

(b)is subject to immigration control within the meaning of section 115(9)(a) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; and

(c)has not previously been allocated a national insurance number.]]

Disqualification for the receipt of a maternity allowanceU.K.

2.—(1) A woman shall be disqualified for receiving a maternity allowance if —

[F3(a)during the maternity allowance period she does any work in employment as an employed or self-employed earner, for more than 10 days, whether consecutive or not, falling within that period and the disqualification shall be for such part of the maternity allowance period as may be reasonable in the circumstances, provided that the disqualification shall, in any event, be for the number of days on which she so worked in excess of 10 days;]

(b)during the maternity allowance period she fails without good cause to observe the following rules of behaviour, namely to take due care of her health and to answer reasonable enquiries (not being enquiries relating to medical examination, treatment or advice), by the Secretary of State or his officers directed to ascertaining whether she is doing so, and such disqualification shall be for such part of the maternity allowance period as may be reasonable in the circumstances; or

(c)at any time before she is confined she fails without good cause to attend for or to submit herself to any medical examination for which she was given at least 3 days notice in writing by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, and such disqualification shall be for such part of the maternity allowance period (being a part beginning not earlier than the day on which the failure occurs) as may be reasonable in the circumstances, except that in the event of her being confined after such failure she shall not by reason of such failure be so disqualified for the day on which the confinement occurs or any day thereafter.

Modification of the maternity allowance periodU.K.

3.—(1) [F4Section 35(2) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992] (which relates to the maternity allowance period) shall be modified in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation.

F5(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F6(2A) In relation to a woman who–

(a)is not entitled to maternity allowance at the 11th week before the expected week of confinement; and

(b)subsequently becomes entitled to maternity allowance before being confined; and

(c)has stopped work

the maternity allowance period shall be a period of [F739 weeks commencing no earlier than the day she becomes entitled to maternity allowance and no later than the day following the day on which she is confined]].

F8(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F8(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F8(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F8(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Revocations and consequential amendmentsU.K.

4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) —

(a)the Regulations specified in column (1) of Part I of the Schedule to these Regulations are revoked to the extent mentioned in column (2) to the Schedule; and

(b)the Regulations specified in column (1) of Part II of the Schedule to these Regulations are amended to the extent specified in column (2) to the Schedule.

(2) The Regulations revoked in paragraph (1)(a) and those amended in paragraph (1)(b) shall nevertheless continue in force in their existing form in relation to a woman whose entitlement to a maternity allowance after 5th April 1987 arises otherwise than under section 22 of the Act as substituted by section 49(2) of and Part II of Schedule 4 to the 1986 Act.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Social Services.

John Major

Minister of State,

Department of Health and Social Security