
1 

(1) These regulations may be cited as the Social Security Pensions (Home Responsibilities and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1978, and shall come into operation on 6th April 1979.
(2) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—
 “the Act” means the Social Security Act 1975;
 “Personal Injuries Scheme”, “Service Pensions Instrument”, 1914–1918 War Injuries Scheme” and “Pneumoconiosis and Byssinosis Benefit Scheme” have the meaning assigned to them in regulation 2 of the Social Security (Over-lapping Benefits) Regulations 1975, as amended; and
 “year” means tax year.
(3) Any reference in these regulations to any provision made by or contained in any enactment or instrument shall, except in so far as the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to that provision as amended or extended by any enactment or instrument and as including a reference to any provision which it re-enacts or replaces or which may re-enact or replace it with or without modification.
(4) The rules for the construction of Acts of Parliament contained in the Interpretation Act 1889 shall apply in relation to this instrument and to the regulations revoked by it as if this instrument and the regulations revoked by it were Acts of Parliament and the revocations were repeals.
2 

(1) For the purposes of paragraph 5(6) and (7) of Schedule 3 to the Act as amended a person shall, subject to paragraph (4) below, be precluded from regular employment by responsibilities at home, within the meaning of these regulations, in any year falling after that ending with 5th April 1978 throughout which he satisfied any of the conditions specified in paragraph (2) below.
(2) The conditions referred to in paragraph (1) above are—
(a) that child benefit, awarded to him under the Child Benefit Act 1975 was payable in respect of a child under the age of 16;
(b) that he was engaged in caring for a person in respect of whom there was payable any of the benefits specified in paragraph (3) below and was regularly so engaged for at least 35 hours per week;
(c) that a supplementary allowance under the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976 was payable to him, the Supplementary Benefits Commission having, by reason of his being engaged in caring for an elderly or incapacitated person, not exercised their discretion under section 5 of that Act to require in his case registration for employment as a condition of his right to that allowance.
(3) The benefits referred to in paragraph (2)(b) above are an attendance allowance under section 35 of the Act, other than in respect of a child under the age of 16, a constant attendance allowance under any Service Pensions Instrument, Personal Injuries Scheme or 1914–1918 War Injuries Scheme, an increase of disablement pension under section 61 of the Act in respect of constant attendance and any benefit corresponding to such an increase under a Pneumoconiosis and Byssinosis Benefit Scheme or under regulations under section 159(3)(b)(i) of the Act.
(4) Paragraph (1) above shall not apply in relation to any year—
(a) if the person in question is a woman who has made or is treated as having made an election in accordance with regulations under section 3(2) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 and that election had effect at the beginning of that year; or
(b) if the person in question does not furnish such information relevant to the question whether in that year he was, within the meaning of these regulations, precluded from regular employment by responsibilities at home as the Secretary of State may from time to time require.
3 

(1) In regulation 3(1)(a) of the Social Security (Benefit) (Married Women and Widows Special Provisions) Regulations 1974 after the words “benefit” and “paragraph 1” there shall be inserted in each case the word “or” and the words “or a Category A retirement pension” and “or 5” shall be omitted.
(2) Regulations 3(2), (4), (6) and (8), 4, 7, 9 and 11 of and the Schedule to those regulations are hereby revoked together with regulation 6(4) of the Social Security Benefit (Married Women and Widows) (Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 1975.
David Ennals
Secretary of State for Social Services
30th March 1978