Explanatory note

These Regulations make amendments consequential on the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Act 2026 (2026 c. 13). They come into operation on the same day as that Act, 6th April 2026.

Regulation 2 amends the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006 No. 405) by removing the provisions that apply the two child limit to housing benefit.

Regulation 3 omits two regulations in the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016 No. 226) that make transitional provision in relation to claimants with more than two children on moving to universal credit.

Regulation 4 omits regulations 4, 5 and 8 of the Social Security (Restrictions on Amounts for Children and Qualifying Young Persons) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (S.R. 2017 No. 79). Regulations 4 and 5 modify the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (S.R. 1987 No. 459) and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (S.R. 1996 No. 198) by introducing a maximum of two children in the applicable amount in relation to those benefits. Regulation 8 is a transitional provision relating to the application of the two child limit to housing benefit.

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland 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 (c. 8), are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.