Explanatory note

These Regulations further amend the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987, the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987, the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996.

In particular, regulation 2(3) provides that for the purpose of entitlement to income support, a lone parent may be treated as not engaged in remunerative work for the first 14 days after commencing such work following a period of entitlement to income support or income-based jobseeker’s allowance of at least 26 weeks.

These Regulations also provide that during the 14 day period—

• any disability premium which was applicable before commencing such work, shall continue to be applicable for that period (regulation 2(8));

• any earnings from the employment which caused the lone parent to be treated as not engaged in remunerative work shall be disregarded (regulation 2(9));

• any working families tax credit or disabled person’s tax credit shall be disregarded as income (regulation 2(10));

• any back to work bonus or child maintenance bonus shall be disregarded as capital when paid during that period (regulation 2(11)).

Regulation 2(5) and (6) makes amendments which are consequential on that made in regulation 2(9). Regulation 2(4) and (7) makes amendments which are consequential on that made in regulation 2(3).

Regulations 2(2) and 3 provide that in income support and jobseeker’s allowance respectively, a lone parent who was previously treated as not engaged in remunerative work in accordance with regulation 2(3), shall be treated as engaged in remunerative work for a specified period if he ceases to be so engaged in such work within 5 weeks of commencing it.

Regulation 4(2) to (4) and (5)(b) to (f) provides for the treatment of extended payments of housing benefit in the case of lone parents who are not treated as engaged in remunerative work pursuant to these Regulations. Those provisions also make consequential and minor technical amendments.

Regulation 4(5)(a) provides that extended payments of housing benefit shall be made to those persons who were in receipt of income support whilst incapable of work or were in receipt of income support or jobseeker’s allowance which included the disability premium.

Regulation 5 amends the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 so as to provide that certain lone parents who are not treated as engaged in remunerative work pursuant to these Regulations, shall not be required to make a claim for income support in order to be entitled to it.

In so far as these Regulations are required, for the purposes of regulation 4, to be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, (“the 1992 Act”), after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee, they have not been so referred by virtue of section 150(1)(b) of that Act. Otherwise they 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 1992 Act, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.