Regulation 3 Amendment of the Social Security (Credits) RegulationsI1

The Social Security (Credits) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1975^f1 shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (7).

In regulation 2(1) (interpretation)—

In regulation 3(1)(a)^f6 (which provides that contributions or earnings shall be credited only for the purpose of satisfying the second contribution condition in relation to certain benefits) after “widowed mother’s allowance,” there shall be inserted “widowed parent’s allowance, bereavement allowance,”.

In regulation 4, in the heading and in paragraph (1)^f7 (which provides for the crediting of Class 3 contributions for the purpose of entitlement to certain benefits) after “ a widowed mother’s allowance” there shall be inserted “, a widowed parent’s allowance, a bereavement allowance”.

In regulation 7A(1)^f8 (credits for invalid care allowance) after—

In regulation 7C(1)^f9 (which provides for the crediting of earnings equal to the prevailing weekly lower earnings limit in certain cases where working families' tax credit is being paid) after “a widowed mother’s allowance” there shall be inserted “, a widowed parent’s allowance, a bereavement allowance”.

After regulation 8B^f10 (credits for incapacity for work) there shall be inserted—

“Credits on termination of bereavement benefits

8C

(1)

This regulation applies for the purpose only of enabling a person who previously received a bereavement benefit (“the recipient”) to satisfy, as the case may be, the condition referred to in—

(a)

paragraph 2(3)(b) of Schedule 3 to the Contributions and Benefits Act (second contribution condition for short-term incapacity benefit) in relation to short-term incapacity benefit; or

(b)

Article 4(1)(b)^f11 of the Jobseekers Order^f12 (contribution based condition) in relation to contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance.

(2)

For every year up to and including that in which the recipient ceased to be entitled to a bereavement benefit otherwise than by reason of remarriage or living together with a person of the opposite sex as husband and wife, the recipient shall be credited with such earnings as may be required to enable the condition referred to in paragraph (1) to be satisfied.”.