2015 No. 1529
Social Security
The State Pension Credit (Amendment) Regulations 2015
Made 13th July 2015
Laid before Parliament 20th July 2015
Coming into force 6th April 2016

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 175(3) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, sections 3ZA, 9(5) and 17(1) of the State Pension Credit Act 2002 and section 28(3) of the Pensions Act 2014.
1992 c.4. Section 175(3) is applied to provisions of the State Pension Credit Act 2002 (c.16) by section 19(1) of that Act.
2002 c.16. Section 3ZA was inserted by paragraph 90 of Schedule 12 to the Pensions Act 2014 (c.19). Section 17(1) is cited for the meaning ascribed to the words “prescribed” and “regulations”.
2014 c.19.
The Social Security Advisory Committee has agreed that the proposals in respect of these Regulations should not be referred to it.
See sections 170 and 173(1)(b) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c.5); paragraph 20 of Schedule 2 to the State Pension Credit Act 2002 added that Act to the list of “relevant enactments” in respect of which regulations must normally be referred to the Committee.

1 Citation and commencement
These Regulations may be cited as the State Pension Credit (Amendment) Regulations 2015 and come into force on 6th April 2016.

2 Amendment of the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002
1 The State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 are amended as follows.
S.I. 2002/1792; relevant amending instrument is S.I. 2005/2687.
2 After regulation 7(savings credit), insert—

“7A Limitation of savings credit for certain mixed-age couples
A person who is a member of a mixed-age couple, is not entitled to a savings credit unless one of the members of the couple—
(a) has been awarded a savings credit with effect from a day before 6th April 2016 and was entitled to a savings credit immediately before 6th April 2016, and
(b) remained entitled to a savings credit at all times since the beginning of 6th April 2016.”

.
3 In regulation 12 (end of assessed income period)—
(a) omit “at such time as”;
(b) at the start of sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), insert “at such time as”;
(c) at the end of sub-paragraph (c), add—

“;
(d) if, apart from this sub-paragraph, it would have ended on a date falling within the period specified in column 1 of the table in Schedule IIIA, on the corresponding date shown against that period in column 2 of that table”

.
4 After Schedule III (special groups), insert—

“SCHEDULE IIIA Date on which certain fixed length assessed income periods end
Regulation 12
Table
Column 1 Period in which the assessed income period would end apart from regulation 12(d)	Column 2 Date on which assessed income period is to end
1st April 2019 to 14th April 2019	14th July 2016
15th April 2019 to 30th April 2019	28th July 2016
1st May 2019 to 14th May 2019	14th August 2016
15th May 2019 to 31st May 2019	28th August 2016
1st June 2019 to 14th June 2019	14th October 2016
15th June 2019 to 30th June 2019	28th October 2016
1st July 2019 to 14th July 2019	14th November 2016
15th July 2019 to 31st July 2019	28th November 2016
1st August 2019 to 14th August 2019	14th December 2016
15th August 2019 to 31st August 2019	28th December 2016
1st September 2019 to 14th September 2019	14th February 2017
15th September 2019 to 30th September 2019	28th February 2017
1st October 2019 to 14th October 2019	14th March 2017
15th October 2019 to 31st October 2019	28th March 2017
1st November 2019 to 14th November 2019	14th April 2017
15th November 2019 to 30th November 2019	28th April 2017
1st December 2019 to 14th December 2019	14th June 2017
15th December 2019 to 31st December 2019	28th June 2017
1st January 2020 to 14th January 2020	14th July 2017
15th January 2020 to 31st January 2020	28th July 2017
1st February 2020 to 14th February 2020	14th September 2017
15th February 2020 to 29th February 2020	28th September 2017
1st March 2020 to 14th March 2020	14th October 2017
15th March 2020 to 31st March 2020	28th October 2017
1st April 2020 to 14th April 2020	14th December 2017
15th April 2020 to 30th April 2020	28th December 2017
1st May 2020 to 14th May 2020	14th January 2018
15th May 2020 to 31st May 2020	28th January 2018
1st June 2020 to 14th June 2020	14th March 2018
15th June 2020 to 30th June 2020	28th March 2018
1st July 2020 to 14th July 2020	14th April 2018
15th July 2020 to 31st July 2020	28th April 2018
1st August 2020 to 14th August 2020	14th June 2018
15th August 2020 to 31st August 2020	28th June 2018
1st September 2020 to 14th September 2020	14th July 2018
15th September 2020 to 30th September 2020	28th July 2018
1st October 2020 to 14th October 2020	14th August 2018
15th October 2020 to 31st October 2020	28th August 2018
1st November 2020 to 14th November 2020	14th October 2018
15th November 2020 to 30th November 2020	28th October 2018
1st December 2020 to 14th December 2020	14th November 2018
15th December 2020 to 31st December 2020	28th November 2018
1st January 2021 to 14th January 2021	14th January 2019
15th January 2021 to 31st January 2021	28th January 2019
1st February 2021 to 14th February 2021	14th February 2019
15th February 2021 to 28th February 2021	28th February 2019
1st March 2021 to 14th March 2021	14th March 2019
15th March 2021 to 5th April 2021	28th March 2019”

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Altmann Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions 13th July 2015

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/1792) (“the 2002 Regulations”) so as to limit savings credit for certain mixed-age couples and to bring forward the date on which certain assessed income periods end.
Under section 3 of the State Pension Credit Act 2002 (c.16) the savings credit element of state pension credit is only payable to those who have reached pensionable age before 6th April 2016. A person may still qualify if they are a member of a mixed-age couple where the other member reached pensionable age before that date.
Regulation 2(2) inserts new regulation 7A into the 2002 Regulations so that in the case of a person who is a member of a mixed-age couple, entitlement is restricted to where one of the members of the couple was entitled to a savings credit before 6th April 2016 and has remained entitled to it at all times since that date.
Regulation 2(3) amends regulation 12 of the 2002 Regulations to provide that certain assessed income periods will end on the dates set out in column 2 of new Schedule IIIA to the 2002 Regulations; that Schedule is inserted by regulation 2(4) of these Regulations.
An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the private sector or civil society organisations. A summary of the contents of the assessment made for the Pensions Act 2014 is published on www.gov.uk.