{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welfare-reform-northern-ireland-order-2015/article-45",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welfare-reform-northern-ireland-order-2015/article-45.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/2015/2006",
  "legislation_title": "The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welfare-reform-northern-ireland-order-2015",
  "path": "article/45",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "45",
  "heading": "Couples",
  "text": "(1) In this Part “couple” means—\n(a) two people who are married to, or civil partners of, each other and are members of the same household, or\n(b) two people who are not married to, or civil partners of, each other but are living together as if spouses of each other.\n(3) For the purposes of this Article regulations may prescribe—\n(a) circumstances in which the fact that two persons are husband and wife or are civil partners is to be disregarded;\n(b) circumstances in which two people are to be treated as living together as if spouses of each other;\n(c) circumstances in which people are to be treated as being or not being members of the same household.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Art. 45(1) substituted for art. 45(1)(2) (13.1.2020) by The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1514), regs. 1(2), 74(2)(a) (with regs. 6-9)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in art. 45(3)(b) substituted (13.1.2020) by The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1514), regs. 1(2), 74(2)(b)(i) (with regs. 6-9)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in art. 45(3)(b) substituted (13.1.2020) by The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1514), regs. 1(2), 74(2)(b)(ii) (with regs. 6-9)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Art. 45 in operation at 2.5.2016 for specified purposes by S.R. 2016/215, art. 2(2)(c)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "Art. 45 in operation at 27.9.2017 in so far as not already in operation by S.R. 2017/190, art. 4(1)(2)(e)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/2015/2006/article/45",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:38:57.312183+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}