Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security Benefits Up-rating and Miscellaneous Increases Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and shall come into operation on 12th April 1999.

Amendment of the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations

2.  In regulation 14 of the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1984(2) (earnings level for the purpose of unemployability supplement) for “£2,496.00” there shall be substituted “£3,016.00”.

Amendment of the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) (General) Regulations

3.  In regulation 17(2)(a) of the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995(3) (exempt work) for “£48.00” there shall be substituted “£58.00”.

Revocations

4.  The Social Security (Incapacity for Work) (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998(4) and regulation 5 of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998(5) are hereby revoked.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations contain provisions to increase amounts in respect of the earnings limit as a consequence of an order under section 132 of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992. In addition the amount of the increase provided for reflects the welfare to work initiative aimed at encouraging sick and disabled people to work if they can.

Regulation 2 raises from £2,496.00 to £3,016.00 a year the earnings limit which applies to unemployability supplement.

Regulation 3 raises from £48.00 to £58.00 the weekly earnings limit which must not be exceeded if the work is to be treated as exempt for incapacity benefit purposes.

Regulation 4 contains consequential revocations.

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Social Security in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.