{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-contributions-and-benefits-northern-ireland-act-1992/section-20",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-contributions-and-benefits-northern-ireland-act-1992/section-20.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1992/7",
  "legislation_title": "Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-contributions-and-benefits-northern-ireland-act-1992",
  "path": "section/20",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "20",
  "heading": "Descriptions of contributory benefits.",
  "text": "(1) Contributory benefits under this Part of this Act are of the following descriptions, namely—\n(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(b) incapacity benefit, comprising—\n(i) short-term incapacity benefit; and\n(ii) long-term incapacity benefit;\n(d) maternity allowance ... ;\n(e) widow’s benefit, comprising—\n(i) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(ii) widowed mother’s allowance...;\n(iii) widow’s pension;\n(ea) widowed parent's allowance;\n(f) retirement pensions of the following categories—\n(i) Category A, payable to a person by virtue of his own contributions (with increase for adult ... dependants); and\n(ii) Category B, payable to a person by virtue of the contributions of a spouse or civil partner ... ;\n(fa) shared additional pensions;\n(g) for existing beneficiaries only, child’s special allowance.\n(2) In this Act—\n“long-term benefit” means—\n(a)long-term incapacity benefit;\n(b)a widowed mother’s allowance;\n(ba)a widowed parent’s allowance;\n(bb). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(c)a widow’s pension; and\n(d)a Category A or Category B retirement pension; and\n(e)a shared additional pension;\n“short-term benefit” means—\n(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(b)short-term incapacity benefit; and\n(c)maternity allowance.\n(3) The provisions of this Part of this Act are subject to the provisions of Chapter II of Part III of the Pensions Act (reduction in benefits for members of schemes that were contracted-out).",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(a) repealed (7.10.1996) by S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15), art. 40(2), Sch. 3; S.R. 1996/401, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(b) substituted for s. 20(1)(b)(c) (13.4.1995) by S.I. 1994/1898 (N.I. 12), art. 13(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I para. 2(2); S.R. 1994/450, art. 2(d), Sch. Pt. IV"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(1)(d) repealed (with effect from 14.8.2010) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 (c. 13), s. 36(1)(p), Sch. 4 Pt. 2 (with ss. 14(2), 34(2)(a))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(e)(i) repealed (24.4.2000 for specified purposes and 9.4.2001 otherwise) by S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11), arts. 67, 76, Sch. 8 para. 2(2)(a), Sch. 10 Pt. V; S.R. 2000/133, art. 2(3)(a), Sch. Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(1) repealed (6.4.2003) by Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21), s. 61, Sch. 6; S.I. 2003/962, art. 2(3)(e), Sch. 1 (with savings in S.R. 2003/212, art. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(ea) substituted (6.4.2017) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 5), s. 53(1), Sch. 16 para. 3(2); S.R. 2017/44, art. 2(2) (with arts. 3, 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(1)(f)(i) repealed (6.4.2003) by Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21), s. 61, Sch. 6; S.I. 2003/962, art. 2(3)(e), Sch. 1 (with savings in S.R. 2003/212, art. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(f)(ii) substituted (16.12.1995 subject to Sch. 2 of the amending S.I.) by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22), arts. 1(3), 123, Sch. 2 Pt. III para. 18(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(1)(f)(ii) inserted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 263(8)(d), Sch. 24 para. 67; S.I. 2005/3255, art. 2(1), Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "S. 20(1)(fa) inserted (1.12.2000) by S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11), art. 74, Sch. 9 para. 5(2); S.R. 2000/133, art. 2(3)(d), Sch. Pt. IV"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "S. 20(2): para. (a) in definition of “long-term benefit”substituted (13.4.1995) by S.I. 1994/1898 (N.I. 12), art. 13(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I para. 2(3)(a); S.R. 1994/450, art. 2(d), Sch. Pt. IV"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "S. 20(2): paras. (ba)(bb) in definition of “long-term benefit”inserted (24.4.2000 for specified purposes and 9.4.2001 otherwise) by S.I. 1999/3147(N.I. 11), art. 67, Sch. 8 para. 2(3); S.R. 2000/133, art. 2(3)(a), Sch. Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(2) omitted (6.4.2017) by virtue of Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 5), s. 53(1), Sch. 16 para. 3(3); S.R. 2017/44, art. 2(2) (with arts. 3, 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "S. 20(2): para. (e) in definition of “long-term benefit”inserted (1.12.2000) by S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11), art. 74, Sch. 9 para. 5(3); S.R. 2000/133, art. 2(3)(d), Sch. Pt. IV"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Words in definition in s. 20(2) repealed (7.10.1996) by S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15), art. 40(2), Sch. 3; S.R. 1996/401, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "S. 20(2): para. (b) in definition substituted (13.4.1995) by S.I. 1994/1898 (N.I. 12), art. 13(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I para. 2(3)(b); S.R. 1994/450, art. 2, Sch. Pt. IV"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(3) substituted (7.2.1994) by 1993 c. 49, s. 184, Sch. 7 para. 30; S.R. 1994/17, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F18",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(3) substituted (6.4.2016) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 5), s. 53(3), Sch. 13 para. 52"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "repealed",
      "affecting": "nia/2007/2",
      "affecting_title": "Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007"
    },
    {
      "type": "words repealed",
      "affecting": "nia/2007/2",
      "affecting_title": "Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/7/section/20",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:36:23.179265+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}