PART 1INTRODUCTION

Citation, commencement and effect1

1

This Order may be cited as the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2015.

2

Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), this Order shall come into force for the purposes of—

a

this article and articles 2 and 6, on 1st April 2015;

b

article 3—

i

in so far as it relates to any increase to which article 6(9)(b) applies, on 1st April 2015, and

ii

for all other purposes, on 6th April 2015;

c

articles 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 13, on 6th April 2015;

d

article 7, 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 1st April 2015, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “benefit week” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Computation of Earnings Regulations;

e

articles 11 and 12, on 9th April 2015;

f

articles 14 to 16, 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 Income Support Regulations;

g

articles 17 and 18, 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;

h

articles 19 and 20, 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 Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

i

article 21, 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 State Pension Credit Regulations;

j

article 22, 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;

k

article 23, 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;

l

article 24, 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 20157, and for the purpose of this sub-paragraph “assessment period” has the same meaning as in section 7(2) of the Welfare Reform Act 20128; and

m

article 25, on 5th May 2015.

3

In so far as articles 3, 4, 8, 13 and 23 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 24 comes into force for that beneficiary.

4

The changes made in the sums specified for rates or amounts of benefit under the Contributions and Benefits Act or the Pension Schemes Act shall take effect for each case on the date specified in relation to that case in article 6.

Interpretation2

In this Order—

  • “the Administration Act” means the Social Security Administration Act 1992;

  • “the Computation of Earnings Regulations” means the Social Security Benefit (Computation of Earnings) Regulations 19969;

  • “the Contributions and Benefits Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 199210;

  • “the ESA Regulations 2008” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 200811;

  • “the ESA Regulations 2013” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 201312;

  • “the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit Regulations 200613;

  • “the Housing Benefit (SPC) Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for State Pension Credit) Regulations 200614;

  • “the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations 198715;

  • “the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 199616;

  • “the Pension Schemes Act” means the Pension Schemes Act 199317;

  • “the State Pension Credit Regulations” means the State Pension Credit Regulations 200218;

  • “the Universal Credit Regulations” means the Universal Credit Regulations 201319; and

  • “the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Act” means the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Act 201320.