Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987.

Regulation 28 is amended to provide that where the amount of maternity allowance payable includes a fraction of a penny that fraction shall be rounded up to the next whole penny.

Schedule 8C is amended to provide that deductions from benefit may be made in respect of arrears of child support maintenance assessed under the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (“the Order”) or calculated under the Order as amended by the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (“the Act”), or such arrears both assessed and calculated, including arrears of maintenance payable at a transitional rate in accordance with regulations made under the Act.

Article 40(2) of the Order is one of the enabling provisions under which these Regulations are made. Article 40 of the Order was substituted by section 20 of the Act which was brought into operation, for the purpose only of making regulations, on 22nd November 2000 by virtue of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security (2000 Act) (Commencement No. 1) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 (S.R. 2000 No. 358 (C. 16)).

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.