Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and shall come into operation on 21st September 2015.

Amendment of the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations

2.-(1) The Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000(3) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) In regulation 2(1)(a)(ii)(4) (social fund winter fuel payments) for "Switzerland or an EEA state, other than the United Kingdom" substitute "any of the countries listed in the Schedule".

(3) At the end of the Regulations add the Schedule as set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Regulation 2(3)

SCHEDULE

Regulation 2

"SCHEDULE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000. They restrict entitlement to winter fuel payments for some of those living abroad. These payments are presently payable to certain eligible older people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom or habitually resident in Switzerland or an EEA state other than the United Kingdom. The payments to those living abroad will now be restricted to eligible people habitually resident in the countries in Europe listed in the Schedule inserted by 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.