Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 to provide that any application for leave to appeal to a Commissioner from a decision of a social security appeal tribunal, a disability appeal tribunal or a medical appeal tribunal shall be accompanied by a copy of the tribunal’s statement of the reasons for its decision and of its findings on questions of fact material thereto.

The Regulations also amend the time limit for making an application to the chairman of a social security appeal tribunal, a disability appeal tribunal or a medical appeal tribunal for leave to appeal to a Commissioner so that it begins with the date on which the tribunal’s statement of the reasons for its decision and of its findings on questions of fact material thereto is given or sent to the applicant.

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Social Security in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.