
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 and shall come into operation on 16th September 2013.
2 

(1) The Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 2 (social fund winter fuel payments)—
(a) in paragraph (1)—
(i) for “and (3)” substitute “to (4)”; and
(ii) for sub-paragraph (a) substitute—“
(a) in respect of any day falling within the qualifying week is—
(i) ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland; or
(ii) habitually resident in Switzerland or an EEA state, other than the United Kingdom; and”;
(b) after paragraph (3) add—“
(4) A person does not qualify for a winter fuel payment by virtue of falling within paragraph (2)(a)(ii) unless—
(a) they are a person to whom Council Regulation (EC) No 1408/71 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community, or Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the coordination of social security systems, applies; and
(b) they are able to demonstrate a genuine and sufficient link to the United Kingdom social security system.”.
(3) At the end of regulation 3 (persons not entitled to a social fund winter fuel payment), add—“
(3) No person is entitled to a winter fuel payment for the winter of 1997 to 1998, 1998 to 1999 or 1999 to 2000, unless they have made a claim for such a payment on or before 31st March 2014.”.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 10th July 2013
(L.S.)Anne McCleary
A senior officer of the Department for Social Development
