6 January, 2021
Open access
Providing for one-off payment of £200 to be made to eligible people under Covid-19 Heating Payment Scheme in Northern Ireland
New statutory rule
New regulations have been issued that provide for a one-off payment of £200 to be made to eligible people under the Covid-19 Heating Payment Scheme in Northern Ireland.
In force from 25 January 2021, the Covid-19 Heating Payment Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (SR.No.1/2021) provide that the Department for Communities shall make payments under the Scheme, and that -
- to be eligible for a Covid-19 heating payment at the standard rate of £200, a person must have been in receipt of attendance allowance (higher rate), disability living allowance (highest rate care and/or higher rate mobility component), personal independence payment (enhanced rate of the daily living and/or mobility component) or state pension credit on any one day during the qualifying week beginning with (and including) Monday 30 November 2020 and ending on Sunday 6 December 2020, and on that day were ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland;
- the Department may recover any payment made in error;
- persons who are eligible for a Covid-19 heating payment but do not receive it before 15 February 2021 may apply for the payment from the Department for Communities by 30 April 2021 and, if the Department is satisfied that the applicant was eligible for a Covid-19 heating payment during the qualifying week, the Department shall make the payment;
- there is no right of appeal;
- no account shall be taken of eligibility for a Covid-19 heating payment when considering a person’s entitlement to a social fund payment, a discretionary support award or a payment under income support, jobseeker's allowance, employment and support allowance, housing benefit (working age and state pension age), universal credit or state pension credit; and
- the Department for Communities may use social security information for the purpose of determining eligibility for a Covid-19 heating payment.
SR.No.1/2021 is available from legislation.gov.uk
