Explanatory note

Section 39(1) of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (“the Act”) provides that information relating to certain benefits may be supplied to certain persons for purposes connected with the application of grant paid under a “relevant statutory provision” towards expenditure related to welfare services. This Order provides that a relevant statutory provision is Article 4 of the Housing Support Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2002. That Article provides that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive may pay grants to eligible persons towards expenditure incurred by them in relation to housing support services.

Section 39 of the Act, the enabling provision under which this Order is made, was brought into operation, for the purpose only of authorising the making of orders or regulations, on 8th August 2008 and, in so far as not already in operation, on 1st September 2008 by virtue of the Welfare Reform (2007 Act) (Commencement No. 6 and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2008 (S.R. 2008 No. 339 (C. 18)).