Transition Order
Introduction
The Income Support (Transitional Provisions) (Jersey) Order 2008 provides transitional arrangements for claimants in receipt of benefits that have been replaced by Income Support. Two adjustments to this Order are now necessary.
Following the agreement of funding for an extension of 100% protection, the dates on which the different phased reductions take place need to be amended.
An additional provision needs to be added to the Transitional Order to provide for special payments in respect of GP costs to individuals previously having HIE status.
Transitional phasing
A successful bid to the Economic Stimulus programme has provided funding to extend the period of 100% protection from October 2009 until October 2010. Subsequent reductions will then take place in July rather than October of following years.
The current phasing is shown in this table:
SCHEDULE
(Article 6)
REDUCING PERCENTAGES OF TOP-UP SUM
1 Period | 2 Percentage payable under Article 6(1) | 3 Percentage payable under Article 6(5) | 4 Percentage payable under Article 6(7) | 5 Percentage payable under Article 6(9) |
From 1st October 2009 to 30th September 2010 | 100 | 80 | 75 | 66 |
From 1st October 2010 to 30th September 2011 | 80 | 60 | 50 | 33 |
From 1st October 2011 to 30th September 2012 | 60 | 40 | 25 | 0 |
From 1st October 2012 to 30th September 2013 | 40 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
From 1st October 2013 to 30th September 2014 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
This will become
1 Period | 2 Percentage payable under Article 6(1) | 3 Percentage payable under Article 6(5) | 4 Percentage payable under Article 6(7) | 5 Percentage payable under Article 6(9) |
From 1st October 2010 to 30th June 2011 | 100 | 80 | 75 | 66 |
From 1st July 2011 to 30th June 2012 | 80 | 60 | 50 | 33 |
From 1st July 2012 to 30th June 2013 | 60 | 40 | 25 | 0 |
From 1st July 2013 to 30th June 2014 | 40 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
From 1st July 2014 to 30th June 2015 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other minor changes to the Order itself follow:
Article 5(2): This states that no protected payment is payable after 30th September 2014. This date should now become 30th June 2015.
It would also be helpful to specify, in respect of each separate type of phasing, the last date on which a protected payment (top up sum) is payable. The phasing types are set out in article 6, as follows:
Paragraphs 1 and 2 – top up sum is not payable after 30th June 2015
Paragraphs 3 and 4 - the date is already included in paragraph 4 and this will now change to 1 October 2010
Paragraphs 5 and 6 – top up sum is not payable after 30 June 2014
Paragraphs 7 and 8 - top up sum is not payable after 30th June 2013
Paragraphs 9 and 10 - top up sum is not payable after 30th June 2012
GP payments
GP costs in respect of ex-HIE claimants are currently being met through the Special Payments Regulation. It is more appropriate that these costs are covered under the transitional provisions. An amendment to the Transition Order can provide time limited access to one off payments to meet genuine medical costs.
The Transition Order includes the concept of a “protected HIE payment” which is payable to:
§ A household that includes someone that previously received HIE
§ A household that is still receiving at least a % of their legacy amount.
This concept can be used to identify households who will qualify to receive Special Payments in respect of GP costs through the Transition Order. An extra article can be added to the Transitional Order to provide for these payments as follows.
Where a household is entitled to a protected HIE payment, then the household may apply for a special payment in respect of GP costs incurred on or after 28 January 2008 as follows:
§ A special payment may be made to defray the cost of medical services provided by a medical practitioner payable by the claimant if the claimant or a member of the claimant’s household is in urgent need of the services being provided;
§ The amount of a special payment payable under this article shall be the full cost of defraying the expense concerned or such amount as represents a reasonable price for the services being provided, whichever is the lower.
§ No payment will be made in respect of costs incurred after the date on which the household ceases to be eligible for a protected HIE payment.