
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Fuel Payments Scheme (Patients Receiving Treatment for Cancer) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 and shall come into operation on 16th April 2012.
2 
The Department for Social Development and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety make the Scheme set out in the Schedule.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 20th March 2012
(L.S.)Heather Cousins
A senior officer of the
Department for Social Development
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 20th March 2012
(L.S.)Christine Jendoubi
A senior officer of the
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister approves the RegulationsSealed with the Official Seal of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister on 20th March 2012
(L.S.)Henry Johnston
A senior officer of the
Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

SCHEDULE
Regulation 2
1 

(1) This Scheme may be cited as the Fuel Payments Scheme (Patients Receiving Treatment for Cancer) (Northern Ireland) 2012
(2) In this Scheme—
 “the Department” means the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety;
 “a fuel payment” means financial assistance provided under this Scheme;
 “chemotherapy” means treatment with the cytotoxic drugs listed in the British National Formulary, Chapter 8.1, interferon, protein kinase inhibitors or monoclonal antibodies;
 “general medical practitioner” means a general medical practitioner whose name is included on a primary medical services performers list prepared pursuant to regulation 4 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Primary Medical Services Performers List) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004;
 “Health and Social Care number” means the unique identification number allocated to each person in Northern Ireland under which their health records are stored electronically;
 “income support” means income support under section 123 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;
 “inpatient surgery” means a surgical procedure which has a curative or palliative purpose, requiring an overnight stay in hospital;
 “palliative care” means the active holistic care of patients with advanced progressive illness including the management of pain and other symptoms and provision of psychological, social and spiritual support;
 “the qualifying week” means the week beginning with (and including) Monday 12th December 2011 and ending with Sunday 18th December 2011;
 “radiotherapy” means the treatment of cancer with ionizing radiation;
 “a Social Fund payment” means a payment under section 134 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;
 “state pension credit” means state pension credit under the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002.
2 

(1) A person is not eligible for a fuel payment unless he is a qualifying person.
(2) A person is a qualifying person for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) if he:
(a) has received inpatient surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or palliative care for cancer within the qualifying week or the previous six months; or
(b) is a person for whom a decision has been made during the qualifying week or the previous six weeks to provide inpatient surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or palliative care for cancer.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph 2(a) the “previous six months” means the period from (and including) Monday 13th June 2011 to Sunday 11th December 2011
(4) For the purposes of paragraph 2(b) the “previous six weeks” means the period from (and including) Monday 31st October 2011 to Sunday 11th December 2011.
3 
A fuel payment shall consist of a single payment of £100 to a qualifying person.
4 

(1) A person who is eligible for a fuel payment and has not received it by 29th June 2012 may apply for a payment.
(2) An application under sub-paragraph (1) must—
(a) be made in writing to the applicant’s general medical practitioner;
(b) be received by the general medical practitioner before 27th July 2012; and
(c) include—
(i) the applicant’s name, address, date of birth and Health and Social Care number;
(ii) the date on which the application is sent to the general medical practitioner; and
(d) consent that information held may be used for the purpose of making a payment to them.
(3) A general medical practitioner shall send an application under sub-paragraph (1) to the Department together with confirmation of whether or not the applicant is a qualifying person within one month of receiving the application.
(4) If the Department is satisfied that a person making an application under sub-paragraph (1) is a qualifying person and has not already received a fuel payment under this Scheme, the Department shall make that payment.
5 
No account shall be taken of eligibility for a fuel payment under this Scheme in considering a person’s entitlement to a Social Fund payment or a payment under either of the following social security benefits—
(a) income support; or
(b) state pension credit.
6 
The Department shall make fuel payments under the Scheme.