Contents
- 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation
- 2 Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, State Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit – definition of prisoner
- 3 Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, State Pension Credit and Employment and Support Allowance - persons treated as being or not being members of the same household
- 4 Jobseekers Allowance – availability for employment
- 5 Housing Benefit – modification of the rule on whether a person is or is not to be treated as occupying a dwelling as their home
- 6 Expiry
1Citation, commencement and interpretation#
(1)These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Coronavirus) (Prisoners) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 and come into operation on 8th April 2020.
(1A)In these regulations “coronavirus disease” means COVID-19 (the official designation of the disease which can be caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)).
(2)The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.
2Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, State Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit – definition of prisoner#
(1)Where the Department is satisfied that it is expedient as a result of coronavirus disease and in such cases as the Department determines the Regulations in paragraph (2) are to be read as if the definition of “prisoner” did not include a person on temporary release in accordance with the provisions of the Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 note.
(2)The regulations are—
(a)the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987;
(b)the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 note;
(c)the State Pension Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 note;
(d)the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 note; and
(e)the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 note.
3Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, State Pension Credit and Employment and Support Allowance - persons treated as being or not being members of the same household#
Where the Department is satisfied that it is expedient as a result of coronavirus disease and in such cases as the Department determines the following provisions are to be read as if the words “on temporary release in accordance with the provisions of the Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953” were omitted—
(a)regulation 16(3)(b) of the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 note;
(b)regulation 78(3)(b) note of the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996;
(c)regulation 5(1)(c) of the State Pension Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003; and
(d)regulation 156(4)(b) of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008.
4Jobseekers Allowance – availability for employment#
Where the Department is satisfied that it is expedient as a result of coronavirus disease and in such cases as the Department determines regulation 15(1) of the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 is to be read as if the words in sub-paragraph (b) were omitted.
5Housing Benefit – modification of the rule on whether a person is or is not to be treated as occupying a dwelling as their home#
For the purposes of entitlement to housing benefit, where the Department is satisfied that it is expedient as a result of coronavirus disease and in such cases as the Department determines, the following provisions are to be read as if the words in sub-paragraph (b) were omitted—
(a)regulation 7(14) of the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 note; and
(b)regulation 7(14) of the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 note.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.