Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the State Pension Credit (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and shall come into operation on 6th April 2016.

Amendment of the State Pension Credit Regulations

2.-(1) The State Pension Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003(3) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4).

(2) After regulation 7 (savings credit) insert-

"Limitation of savings credit for certain mixed-age couples

7A.  A person who is a member of a mixed-age couple, is not entitled to a savings credit unless one of the members of the couple-

(a)has been awarded a savings credit with effect from a day before 6th April 2016 and was entitled to a savings credit immediately before 6th April 2016, and

(b)remained entitled to a savings credit at all times since the beginning of 6th April 2016.".

(3) In regulation 12 (end of assessed income period)-

(a)omit "at such time as";

(b)at the start of sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (c)(4) insert "at such time as";

(c)in sub-paragraph (c) for "temporary basis." substitute "temporary basis;"; and

(d)after sub-paragraph (c) add-

"(d)if, apart from this sub-paragraph, it would have ended on a date falling within the period specified in column 1 of the table in Schedule 3A, on the corresponding date shown against that period in column 2 of that table.".

(4) After Schedule 3 (special groups) insert -

Regulation 12

"SCHEDULE 3ADate on which certain fixed length assessed income periods end

Table

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the State Pension Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 ("the 2003 Regulations") so as to limit savings credit for certain mixed-age couples and to bring forward the date on which certain assessed income periods end.

Under section 3 of the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 the savings credit element of state pension credit is only payable to those who have reached pensionable age before 6th April 2016. A person may still qualify if they are a member of a mixed-age couple where the other member reached pensionable age before that date.

Regulation 2(2) inserts new regulation 7A into the 2003 Regulations so that in the case of a person who is a member of a mixed-age couple, entitlement is restricted to where one of the members of the couple was entitled to a savings credit before 6th April 2016 and has remained entitled to it at all times since that date.

Regulation 2(3) amends regulation 12 of the 2003 Regulations to provide that certain assessed income periods will end on the dates set out in column 2 of new Schedule 3A to the 2003 Regulations; that Schedule is inserted by regulation 2(4) of these Regulations.

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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 (c. 8), are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.