HOUSING; RATES; SOCIAL SECURITY Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Bereavement Benefits Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) shall come into operation on 9th April 2001. 2 Regulation 2(4) shall, in relation to any particular claimant for income support, have effect from the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that claimant on or after 9th April 2001 and in this paragraph, “benefit week” and “claimant” shall have the same meanings as in regulation 2(1) of the Income Support Regulations . 3 Regulation 3(3) shall, in relation to any particular claimant for a jobseeker’s allowance, have effect from the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that claimant on or after 9th April 2001 and in this paragraph, “benefit week” shall have the same meaning as in regulation 1(2) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations . 4 In these Regulations— “the Housing Benefit Regulations ” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 ; “the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 ; “the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 . 5 The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly. Amendment of the Income Support Regulations 2 1 The Income Support Regulations shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4). 2 In Schedule 1B (prescribed categories of person) after paragraph 16 there shall be inserted the following paragraph— Certain persons aged between 55 and 60 whose spouse has died 16A A person— a who had, as at 9th April 2001, attained the age of 55 but not the age of 60; b whose spouse died during the period beginning on and including 9th April 2001 and ending on 9th April 2006, and c who is claiming income support as a single claimant. . 3 In Schedule 2 (applicable amounts)— a in paragraph 4 (premiums) for “paragraphs 9 to 14ZA” there shall be substituted “paragraphs 8A to 14ZA”; b immediately before paragraph 9 there shall be inserted the following paragraph— Bereavement Premium 8A 1 Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), the condition is that the claimant— a had, as at 9th April 2001, attained the age of 55 but not the age of 60; b was in receipt of, but is no longer entitled to, a bereavement allowance under section 39B of the Contributions and Benefits Act in respect of the death of a spouse who died on or after 9th April 2001, and c is claiming income support as a single claimant. 2 A premium under sub-paragraph (1) shall not be applicable in respect of a claimant who claims income support more than 8 weeks after the last day on which he was entitled to a bereavement allowance. 3 Where a claimant to whom a premium under sub-paragraph (1) is applicable, ceases to be entitled to income support or to be a single claimant, a premium under sub-paragraph (1) shall only again be applicable to that claimant where he claims income support as a single claimant no more than 8 weeks after the date on which he ceased to be entitled to income support or to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance or, as the case may be, to be a single claimant. ; c immediately before sub-paragraph (2) in the table in paragraph 15 (weekly amounts of premiums specified in Part III) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph respectively in each column— 1A Bereavement Premium. 1A £15·30. . 4 In Schedule 9 (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings) after paragraph 16( f ) there shall be added the following sub-paragraphs— g any widowed mother’s allowance paid pursuant to section 37 of the Contributions and Benefits Act; h any widowed parent’s allowance paid pursuant to section 39A of the Contributions and Benefits Act . . Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 3 1 The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3). 2 In Schedule 1 (applicable amounts)— a in paragraph 5 (premiums) for “paragraphs 10 to 17” there shall be substituted “paragraphs 9A to 17”; b immediately before paragraph 10 there shall be inserted the following paragraph— Bereavement Premium 9A 1 Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), the condition is that the claimant— a had, as at 9th April 2001, attained the age of 55 but not the age of 60; b was in receipt of, but is no longer entitled to, a bereavement allowance under section 39B of the Benefits Act in respect of the death of a spouse who died on or after 9th April 2001, and c is claiming a jobseeker’s allowance as a single claimant. 2 A premium under sub-paragraph (1) shall not be applicable in respect of a claimant who claims a jobseeker’s allowance more than 8 weeks after the last day on which he was entitled to a bereavement allowance. 3 Where a claimant to whom a premium under sub-paragraph (1) is applicable, ceases to be entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance or to be a single claimant, a premium under sub-paragraph (1) shall only again be applicable to that claimant where he claims a jobseeker’s allowance as a single claimant no more than 8 weeks after the date on which he ceased to be entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance or to income support or, as the case may be, to be a single claimant. ; c immediately before sub-paragraph (2) in the table in paragraph 20 (weekly amounts of premiums specified in Part III) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph respectively in each column— 1A Bereavement Premium. 1A £15·30. . 3 In Schedule 6 (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings) after paragraph 17( f ) there shall be added the following sub-paragraphs— g any widowed mother’s allowance paid pursuant to section 37 of the Benefits Act; h any widowed parent’s allowance paid pursuant to section 39A of the Benefits Act. . Amendment of the Housing Benefit Regulations 4 1 The Housing Benefit Regulations shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3). 2 In Schedule 2 (applicable amounts)— a in paragraph 4 (premiums) for “paragraphs 9 to 14ZA” there shall be substituted “paragraphs 8A to 14ZA”; b immediately before paragraph 9 there shall be inserted the following paragraph— Bereavement Premium 8A 1 Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), the condition is that the claimant— a had, as at 9th April 2001, attained the age of 55 but not the age of 60; b was in receipt of, but is no longer entitled to, a bereavement allowance under section 39B of the Contributions and Benefits Act in respect of the death of a spouse who died on or after 9th April 2001, and c is claiming housing benefit as a single claimant. 2 A premium under sub-paragraph (1) shall, except in a case to which sub-paragraph (4) applies, not be applicable in respect of a claimant who claims housing benefit more than 8 weeks after the last day on which he was entitled to a bereavement allowance. 3 Where a claimant to whom a premium under sub-paragraph (1) is applicable, ceases to be entitled to housing benefit or to be a single claimant, a premium under sub-paragraph (1) shall only again be applicable to that claimant where he claims housing benefit as a single claimant no more than 8 weeks after the date on which he ceased to be entitled to housing benefit or, as the case may be, to be a single claimant. 4 Where a premium under sub-paragraph (1) becomes applicable to a claimant, it shall again be applicable to that claimant where he claims housing benefit as a single claimant at the end of the benefit period in which it first became applicable and at the end of each subsequent benefit period provided, where he ceases to be a single claimant during the course of any benefit period, he does not cease to be a single claimant for more than 8 weeks. ; c immediately before sub-paragraph (2) in the table in paragraph 15 (amounts of premiums specified in Part III) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph respectively in each column— 1A Bereavement Premium. 1A £15·30. . 3 In Schedule 4 (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings)— a after paragraph 14 there shall be inserted the following paragraph— 14A Subject to paragraph 35, £15 of any— a widowed mother’s allowance paid pursuant to section 37 of the Contributions and Benefits Act; b widowed parent’s allowance paid pursuant to section 39A of the Contributions and Benefits Act. ; b in paragraph 35 for “paragraphs 15” there shall be substituted “paragraphs 14A, 15”. Cessation in operation of certain provisions of these Regulations 5 Regulations 2(2) and (3), 3(2) and 4(2) shall cease to have effect on 10th April 2006 and the Income Support Regulations, the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations and the Housing Benefit Regulations shall apply thereafter as if the amendments made to them by those regulations had not been made. Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 18th August 2000. Chris Thompson Senior Officer of the Department for Social Development The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby consents to regulation 4 and regulation 5, in so far as it relates to regulation 4, of the foregoing Regulations. Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 18th August 2000. V. N. Hewitt Senior Officer of the Department of Finance and Personnel