10.—(1) In the Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) Regulations, after regulation 7 (days of statutory sick pay to be included in days of entitlement to incapacity benefit) there shall be inserted the following regulations—
7A.—(1) For the purpose of determining a woman’s entitlement to short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate or long-term incapacity benefit under section 30A of the Contributions and Benefits Act(1), a day which falls within the maternity pay period shall, notwithstanding paragraph 1 of Schedule 13 to that Act, be treated as a day of incapacity for work for the purpose of determining whether it forms part of a period of incapacity for work where—
(a)on that day she was incapable of work; and
(b)that day is not treated under section 30C(3) of the Contributions and Benefits Act(2) as a day which is not a day of incapacity for work; and
(c)the day immediately preceding the first day in the maternity pay period falls within either a period of incapacity for work or a period of entitlement to statutory sick pay for the purposes of Part 11 of the Contributions and Benefits Act; and
(d)the woman either satisfied the contribution conditions specified for short-term incapacity benefit on the first day of incapacity for work to fall within that period of incapacity for work or would have satisfied those conditions had a claim for short-term incapacity benefit been made on the first or any subsequent day of incapacity for work falling within that period of entitlement.
(2) Any day which, by virtue of paragraph (1), forms part of a period of incapacity for work shall be further treated, for the purpose of determining entitlement to short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate or long-term incapacity benefit under section 30A of the Contributions and Benefits Act, as being a day on which the woman has been entitled to short-term incapacity benefit.
(3) For the purposes of this regulation “period of incapacity for work” has the same meaning as in section 30C(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act.
(4) Where by virtue of paragraph (1) a woman is entitled to short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate or long-term incapacity benefit for any week (including part of a week) the total amount of such benefit (including any increase for a dependant) payable to her for that week shall be reduced by an amount equivalent to any statutory maternity pay to which she is entitled in accordance with Part 12 of the Contributions and Benefits Act for the same week and only the balance, if any, of the short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate or long-term incapacity benefit shall be payable to her.”.
(2) After that regulation there shall be inserted the following regulation—
7B.—(1) For the purpose of determining a person’s entitlement to short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate or long-term incapacity benefit under section 30A of the Contributions and Benefits Act, a day which falls within the adoption pay period shall, notwithstanding section 171ZP(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act(3), be treated as a day of incapacity for work for the purpose of determining whether it forms part of a period of incapacity for work where—
(a)on that day he was incapable of work; and
(b)that day is not treated under section 30C(3) of the Contributions and Benefits Act as a day which is not a day of incapacity for work; and
(c)the day immediately preceding the first day in the adoption pay period falls within either a period of incapacity for work or a period of entitlement to statutory sick pay for the purposes of Part 11 of the Contributions and Benefits Act; and
(d)the person either satisfied the contribution conditions specified for short-term incapacity benefit on the first day of incapacity for work to fall within that period of incapacity for work or would have satisfied those conditions had a claim for short-term incapacity benefit been made on the first or any subsequent day of incapacity for work falling within that period of entitlement.
(2) Any day which, by virtue of paragraph (1), forms part of a period of incapacity for work shall be further treated, for the purpose of determining entitlement to short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate or long-term incapacity benefit under section 30A of the Contributions and Benefits Act, as being a day on which the person has been entitled to short-term incapacity benefit.
(3) For the purposes of this regulation “period of incapacity for work” has the same meaning as in section 30C(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act.
(4) Where by virtue of paragraph (1) a person is entitled to short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate or long-term incapacity benefit for any week (including part of a week) the total amount of such benefit (including any increase for a dependant) payable to him for that week shall be reduced by an amount equivalent to any statutory adoption pay to which he is entitled in accordance with Part 12ZB of the Contributions and Benefits Act(4) for the same week and only the balance, if any, of the short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate or long-term incapacity benefit shall be payable to him.”.
Section 30A was inserted by section 1(1) of the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994 and was amended by sections 64 and 88 of the Welfare and Reform and Pensions Act 1999.
Section 30C(3) was inserted by section 3(1) of the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994.
Section 171ZP(1) was inserted by section 4 of the Employment Act 2002.
Part 12ZB was inserted by section 4 of the Employment Act 2002.