Recording, verification and holding, and forwarding, of claims etc. received by relevant authorities5.
(1)
A relevant authority may record and hold—
(a)
claims and notifications received by virtue of the any of the principal Regulations; and
(b)
information or evidence received by virtue of regulation 3(2).
(2)
Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), a relevant authority or a person providing services to the Board must forward to the Board such a claim or notification, or such information or evidence, as soon as reasonably practicable after being satisfied that it is complete.
(3)
Before forwarding a claim or notification in accordance with paragraph (2), a relevant authority must verify whether the details of the claim or notification are consistent with any details held by it which have been provided in connection with a relevant claim for benefit that relates to—
(a)
the person by whom the claim for child benefit or guardian’s allowance is or has been made; or
(b)
the child in respect of whom the child benefit or guardian’s allowance is payable.
(4)
Before forwarding a claim in accordance with paragraph (2), a relevant authority must verify that—
(a)
any national insurance number provided in respect of the person by whom the claim is made exists and has been allocated to that person;
(b)
the matters verified in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) accord with—
(i)
its own records; or
(ii)
in the case of a person providing services to the Secretary of State or the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland, records held by the Secretary of State or that Department.
(5)
Before forwarding a claim in accordance with paragraph (2), a relevant authority may verify the existence of any original document provided by the person making the claim which is required to be returned to him.
(6)
If a relevant authority cannot locate any national insurance number in respect of a person by whom such a claim is made, it must forward to the Board or a person providing services to the Board the claim.
(7)
“National insurance number” means the national insurance number allocated within the meaning of—
(a)
(b)
(8)
“Claim for benefit” means a claim for—
(a)
a benefit in relation to which—