Explanatory note

These Regulations make provision for the disclosure, by the Department for Social Development (“the Department”) to the applicant, of state pension information relating to an individual for the purpose of enabling the applicant to provide the individual with a forecast or illustration of his pension entitlement, or likely entitlement, based on his state pension information and other relevant information relating to his pension rights held by that applicant. They also make provision in relation to the information which the applicant may disclose for the purpose of making the application.

Regulation 2 provides for an application to the Department for disclosure of state pension information to be made in writing.

Regulation 3 sets out the conditions to be satisfied prior to such a disclosure being made.

Regulation 4 specifies the information relating to the individual which may be disclosed by the applicant for the purpose of making the application for disclosure of state pension information relating to an individual.

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, the requirement for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 does not apply by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, that Act.

The Child Support, Pensions and Social Security (2000 Act) (Commencement No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 (S.R. 2000 No. 374 (C. 18)) provides for the coming into operation of section 38 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000, for the purpose only of authorising the making of regulations, on 1st December 2000, and, for all other purposes, on 1st January 2001.