Article 16 Amendment of the Social Security Benefit (Computation of Earnings) Regulations 1996

in the definition of “close relative”, for “or the spouse of any of the proceeding persons or, if that person is one of an unmarried couple, the other member of that couple;” substitute “or if any of the preceding persons is one member of a couple, the other member of that couple;”;

for the definition of “couple” substitute—

• “ “couple” means—

  1. (a)

     a man and woman who are married to each other and are members of the same household;

  2. (b)

     a man and woman who are not married to each other but are living together as husband and wife;

  3. (c)

     two people of the same sex who are civil partners of each other and are members of the same household; or

  4. (d)

     two people of the same sex who are not civil partners of each other but are living together as if they were civil partners;

  and for the purposes of sub-paragraph (d), two people of the same sex are to be regarded as living together as if they were civil partners if, but only if, they would be regarded as living together as husband and wife were they instead two people of the opposite sex;; and”; and

in the definition of “partner”, in sub-paragraph (a), omit “married or an unmarried”.