Benefits and Welfare Legislation
Legislative framework for social security, welfare benefits, universal credit, pension schemes, and support systems for vulnerable populations.
The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2025
The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2025, effective April 7th, 2025, updates the rates of pensions and allowances payable under the 1983 Scheme to civilians injured or killed during World War II. The amendment replaces the tables in Schedules 3 and 4 outlining these rates, adjusting them to current values.
The order applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The Statutory Maternity Pay (Compensation of Employers) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These regulations, effective April 6th, 2025, amend the 1994 Statutory Maternity Pay regulations concerning compensation for small employers.
They increase the additional payment small employers receive from 3% to 8.5% of statutory maternity pay.
This change applies across the UK, with specific provisions for Northern Ireland.
The amendment is based on a pre-determined formula and is projected to have minimal impact on the private, voluntary, or community sectors.
The Inspectors of Education, Children’s Services and Skills Order 2025
The Inspectors of Education, Children’s Services and Skills Order 2025, effective March 13, 2025, appoints several individuals as His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education, Children’s Services and Skills.
The appointments are made under the authority of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and aim to maintain standards within these crucial sectors.
The Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2025
These regulations amend existing UK legislation to incorporate statutory neonatal care pay, as introduced by the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023.
The amendments update the Statutory Payment Schemes (Electronic Communications) Regulations 2002 and Income Tax legislation (Pay As You Earn Regulations 2003 and Construction Industry Scheme Regulations 2005) to include references and administrative processes related to this new parental benefit.
The changes streamline administration and ensure consistent legal treatment of statutory neonatal care pay.
The Help-to-Save Accounts Regulations 2025
The Help-To-Save Accounts Regulations 2025 amend the 2018 regulations governing Help-to-Save accounts.
Key changes include lowering the minimum earned income requirement for Universal Credit claimants to £1 and removing the reference to the national living wage in eligibility criteria.
The amendments aim to simplify eligibility and broaden access to the savings scheme for low-income individuals.
The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2025
These regulations, effective April 6, 2025, amend the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001.
They exclude the qualifying amount of tax redress payments from earnings calculations for Class 1 National Insurance contributions.
This applies to tax redress payments made to members of MPs', Senedd, and Northern Ireland Assembly pension schemes as compensation for tax liabilities arising from a pension calculation method change.
The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2025
The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2025, effective April 6th, 2025, amend the 2001 Social Security (Contributions) Regulations.
Specifically, they modify the reporting requirements for Real Time Information (RTI) employers.
The amendment clarifies that employers must report earnings information to HMRC unless employee earnings fall below either the lower earnings limit or the secondary threshold, whichever is lower.
This ensures consistent reporting even when the secondary threshold is below the lower earnings limit.
A Tax Information and Impact Note was deemed unnecessary due to the absence of substantive tax policy changes.
The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, effective April 6, 2025, amend the 2003 PAYE Regulations.
Key changes include defining a 'secondary threshold' aligned with the 1992 Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act and modifying regulations 47(2), 48(2), 49C(2), and 49D(2) to use either the lower earnings limit or the secondary threshold (whichever is lower) for initial payments.
The amendments aim to enhance clarity and consistency in income tax deduction calculations.