The Social Security (Widow’s Benefit and Retirement Pensions) Amendment Regulations 1995

Made16th January 1995

Laid before Parliament20th January 1995

Coming into force10th February 1995

The Secretary of State for Social Security in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 121(1)(a) and 175(1) and (3) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 19921 and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee that proposals to make these Regulations should not be referred to it2, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Widow’s Benefit and Retirement Pensions) Amendment Regulations 1995 and shall come into force on 10th February 1995.

2

In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the Social Security (Widow’s Benefit and Retirement Pensions) Regulations 19793.

Amendment of regulation 1 of the principal Regulations2

In regulation 1 of the principal Regulations after paragraph (3) there shall be inserted the following paragraph:

3A
For the purposes of regulation 8 of these Regulations, where, before the coming into force of the Nullity of Marriages Act 19714 a decree of nullity was granted in relation to a person on the ground that the marriage was voidable, that person shall be treated as a person whose marriage has been terminated by divorce from the date on which that decree was made absolute.

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

William HagueMinister of State,Department of Social Security16th January 1995

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend regulation 1 of the Social Security (Widow’s Benefit and Retirement Pensions) Regulations 1979. Regulation 2 inserts a new paragraph (3A) into that regulation which provides for a voidable marriage in respect of which a decree absolute of nullity of marriage has been granted before 1st August 1971 to be treated as if it was a valid marriage terminated by divorce at the date of annulment.

These Regulations do not impose any costs on business.