Explanatory note

These Regulations come into operation immediately after the coming into operation of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2004 which up-rates the weekly rate of paternity pay to the smaller of either £102·80 or 90 per cent of the employee’s normal weekly earnings for any period of paternity leave beginning on or after 4th April 2004. These Regulations substitute a new regulation 2 into the Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay (Weekly Rates) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 with the effect that any week of paternity leave beginning on or after 4th April 2004 will be paid at the new rate.