Explanatory note

These Regulations further amend the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 in the following respects—

to specify the circumstances in which a claim for an increase of severe disablement allowance or invalid care allowance for a dependant is treated as made on an earlier date (regulation 2(2));

to specify the circumstances in which the time for claiming disability working allowance may be extended (regulation 2(3));

to alter the period over which reviews are backdated in certain cases in respect of claims for attendance allowance and disability living allowance and income support and jobseeker’s allowance (regulation 3).

Regulation 4 makes transitional provision for backdating reviews of attendance allowance and disability living allowance in certain cases.

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.