The Welfare Benefits Up-rating Order 2015

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Order 2015.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), this Order shall come into force for the purposes of—

(a) this article and article 2, on 1st April 2015;

(b) article 3, on 6th April 2015;

(c) article 4, on 5th April 2015, except for the purpose of determining the rate of maternity allowance in accordance with section 35A(1)(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (appropriate weekly rate of maternity allowance under section 35), for which purpose it shall come into force on 6th April 2015;

(d) article 5, on 5th April 2015;

(e) article 6, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 6th April 2015, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the Income Support Regulations;

(f) article 7, in relation to a case where rent is payable at intervals of a week or any multiple thereof, on 6th April 2015, and in relation to any other case, on 1st April 2015;

(g) articles 8 and 9, in so far as they relate to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 6th April 2015, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the JSA Regulations 1996;

(h) article 10, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 6th April 2015, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the JSA Regulations 2013;

(i) article 11, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 6th April 2015, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the ESA Regulations 2008;

(j) article 12, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 6th April 2015, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the ESA Regulations 2013;

(k) article 13, in so far as it relates to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first assessment period to commence for that beneficiary on or after 6th April 2015(2), and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “assessment period” has the same meaning as in section 7(2) of the Welfare Reform Act 2012(3) (basis of awards);

(l) article 14, on 5th May 2015.

(3) In so far as articles 4, 10 and 12 relate to a beneficiary in favour of whom an award of universal credit is in force, those articles shall come into force for the purposes of determining the beneficiary’s unearned income in relation to that award on the same day as article 13 comes into force for that beneficiary.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order—

“the Contributions and Benefits Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992(4);

“the ESA Regulations 2008” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008(5);

“the ESA Regulations 2013” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013(6);

“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987(7);

“the JSA Regulations 1996” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996(8); and

“the JSA Regulations 2013” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 2013(9).

Statutory Sick Pay

3.  In section 157(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act(10) (rate of payment of statutory sick pay) for “£87.55” substitute “£88.45”.

Statutory Maternity Pay

4.  In regulation 6 of the Statutory Maternity Pay (General) Regulations 1986(11) (prescribed rate of statutory maternity pay) for “£138.18” substitute “£139.58”.

Ordinary and Additional Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay and Statutory Shared Parental Pay

5.—(1) In the Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay (Weekly Rates) Regulations 2002(12)—

(a) in regulation 2(a) (weekly rate of payment of statutory paternity pay) for “£138.18” substitute “£139.58”; and

(b) in regulation 3(a) (weekly rate of payment of statutory adoption pay) for “£138.18” substitute “£139.58”.

(2) In regulation 2(a) of the Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Weekly Rates) Regulations 2010(13) (weekly rate of payment of additional statutory paternity pay) for “£138.18” substitute “£139.58”.

(3) In regulation 40(1)(a) of the Statutory Shared Parental Pay (General) Regulations 2014(14) (weekly rate of payment of statutory shared parental pay) for “£138.18” substitute “£139.58”.

Applicable amounts for Income Support

6.  The sums relevant to the calculation of an applicable amount as specified in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 2 to the Income Support Regulations(15) (applicable amounts: personal allowances) shall be as set out in Schedule 1 to this Order.

Housing Benefit

7.  The sums relevant to the calculation of an applicable amount as specified in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 3 to the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006(16) (applicable amounts: personal allowances) shall be as set out in Schedule 2 to this Order.

Increase in age-related amounts of contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

8.  In regulation 79(1) of the JSA Regulations 1996(17) (weekly amounts of contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (a) for “£57.35” substitute “£57.90”; and

(b) in sub-paragraph (c) for “£72.40” substitute “£73.10”.

Applicable amounts for the JSA Regulations 1996

9.  The sums relevant to the calculation of an applicable amount as specified in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the JSA Regulations 1996(18) (applicable amounts: personal allowances) shall be as set out in Schedule 3 to this Order.

Amounts for the JSA Regulations 2013

10.  In regulation 49 of the JSA Regulations 2013(19) (weekly amounts of jobseeker’s allowance)—

(a) in paragraph (1)(a) for “£57.35” substitute “£57.90”; and

(b) in paragraph (1)(b) for “£72.40” substitute “£73.10”.

Amounts for the ESA Regulations 2008

11.—(1) The sums specified in Part 1 of Schedule 4 to the ESA Regulations 2008(20) (prescribed amounts) shall be as set out in Schedule 4 to this Order.

(2) In Part 4 of Schedule 4 to the ESA Regulations 2008(21) (the components) in paragraph 12 for “£28.75” substitute “£29.05”.

Prescribed amounts for the ESA Regulations 2013

12.—(1) In regulation 62 of the ESA Regulations 2013(22) (prescribed amounts)—

(a) in paragraph (1)(a) and (b)(i) for “£72.40” substitute “£73.10”;

(b) in paragraph (1)(b)(ii) for “£57.35” substitute “£57.90”; and

(c) in paragraph (2)(a) for “£28.75” substitute “£29.05”.

(2) In regulation 62 of the ESA Regulations 2013 (prescribed amounts) as modified by paragraph 12 of Schedule 2 to the Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) (No. 2) Regulations 2010(23) as that paragraph is modified by paragraph 21(10) of Schedule 4 to the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 9 and Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Commencement No. 8 and Savings and Transitional Provisions (Amendment)) Order 2013(24)—

(a) in paragraph (1)(a)(i) and (ii)(aa) for “£72.40” substitute “£73.10”; and

(b) in paragraph (1)(a)(ii)(bb) for “£57.35” substitute “£57.90”.

Amounts of certain elements for the Universal Credit Regulations 2013

13.  The amounts of the standard allowance, the additional amount in respect of each child or qualifying young person who is disabled (lower rate) and the limited capability for work element specified in the table in regulation 36 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013(25) (table showing amounts of elements) shall be as set out in Schedule 5 to this Order.

Revocation

14.  The Welfare Benefits Up-rating Order 2014(26) is revoked.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Steve Webb

Minister of State,

Department for Work and Pensions

14th January 2015