Social Security Fraud Act (Northern Ireland) 2001

[F1Loss of benefit in case of conviction, penalty or caution for benefit offenceN.I.

5B—(1) Subsection (4) applies where a person (“the offender”)—

(a)is convicted of one or more benefit offences in any proceedings,

(b)after being given a notice under subsection (2) of the appropriate penalty provision by an appropriate authority, agrees in the manner specified by the appropriate authority to pay a penalty under the appropriate penalty provision to the appropriate authority F2..., in a case where [F3the offence to which the notice relates] is a benefit offence, or

(c)is cautioned in respect of one or more benefit offences.

(2) In subsection (1)(b)—

(a)“the appropriate penalty provision” means section 109A of the Administration Act (penalty as alternative to prosecution) or section 115A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (the corresponding provision for Great Britain);

(b)“appropriate authority” means—

(i)in relation to section 109A of the Administration Act, the Department (within the meaning of that Act) or the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, an

(ii)in relation to section 115A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992, the Secretary of State or an authority which administers housing benefit or council tax benefit.

(3) Subsection (4) does not apply by virtue of subsection (1)(a) if, because the proceedings in which the offender was convicted constitute the later set of proceedings for the purposes of section 6, the restriction in subsection (2) of that section applies in the offender's case.

(4) If this subsection applies and the offender is a person with respect to whom the conditions for an entitlement to a sanctionable benefit are or become satisfied at any time within the disqualification period, then, even though those conditions are satisfied, the following restrictions shall apply in relation to the payment of that benefit in the offender's case.

(5) Subject to subsections (6) to (10), the sanctionable benefit shall not be payable in the offender's case for any period comprised in the disqualification period.

(6) Where the sanctionable benefit is income support, the benefit shall be payable in the offender's case for any period comprised in the disqualification period as if the applicable amount used for the determination under section 123(4) of the Contributions and Benefits Act of the amount of the offender's entitlement for that period were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed.

(7) The Department may by regulations provide that, where the sanctionable benefit is jobseeker's allowance, any income-based jobseeker's allowance shall be payable, during the whole or a part of any period comprised in the disqualification period, as if one or more of the following applied—

(a)the rate of the allowance were such reduced rate as may be prescribed;

(b)the allowance were payable only if there is compliance by the offender with such obligations with respect to the provision of information as may be imposed by the regulations;

(c)the allowance were payable only if the circumstances are otherwise such as may be prescribed.

(8) The Department may by regulations provide that, where the sanctionable benefit is state pension credit, the benefit shall be payable in the offender's case for any period comprised in the disqualification period as if the rate of the benefit were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed.

(9) The Department may by regulations provide that, where the sanctionable benefit is employment and support allowance, any income-related allowance shall be payable, during the whole or a part of any period comprised in the disqualification period, as if one or more of the following applied—

(a)the rate of the allowance were such reduced rate as may be prescribed

(b)the allowance were payable only if there is compliance by the offender with such obligations with respect to the provision of information as may be imposed by the regulations;

(c)the allowance were payable only if the circumstances are otherwise such as may be prescribed.

(10) The Department may by regulations provide that, where the sanctionable benefit is housing benefit, the benefit shall be payable, during the whole or a part of any period comprised in the disqualification period, as if one or more of the following applied—

(a)the rate of the benefit were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed;

(b)the benefit were payable only if the circumstances are such as may be prescribed.

(11) For the purposes of this section the disqualification period, in relation to any disqualifying event, means the period of four weeks beginning with such date, falling after the date of the disqualifying event, as may be determined by or in accordance with regulations made by the Department.

(12) This section has effect subject to section 5C.

(13) In this section and section 5C—

“benefit offence” means—

“disqualifying event” means the conviction falling within subsection (1)(a), the agreement falling within subsection (1)(b) or the caution falling within subsection (1)(c);

“post-commencement offence” means any criminal offence committed after the coming into operation of this section.]