The Social Security and Statutory Maternity Pay (Evidence of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Made: 9th March 2026

Coming into operation: 1st April 2026

The Department for Communities[^f00001] makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 5(1)(j), 13(1)(a) and 165(1), (4) and (5) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992[^f00002], and now vested in it[^f00003].

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security and Statutory Maternity Pay (Evidence of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 and come into operation on 1st April 2026.

• (2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954[^f00004] applies to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Amendment of the Social Security (Medical Evidence) Regulations

2

In Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Medical Evidence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976[^f00005] in paragraph 4 of Part 1 omit “shall be completed in ink or other indelible substance and”.

Amendment of the Statutory Maternity Pay (Medical Evidence) Regulations

3

In the Schedule to the Statutory Maternity Pay (Medical Evidence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987[^f00006] in paragraph 4 of Part 1 omit “shall be completed in ink or other indelible substance and”.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Communities on 9th March 2026.

David Tarr — A senior officer of the Department for Communities

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Social Security (Medical Evidence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976 (S.R. 1976 No. 175) (“the 1976 Regulations”) and the Statutory Maternity Pay (Medical Evidence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (S.R. 1987 No. 99) (“the 1987 Regulations”) to make a minor adjustment to the evidential requirements when applying for Maternity Allowance or Statutory Maternity Pay respectively.

Amongst other things, the 1976 Regulations set out the evidential requirements for claims for maternity benefit and the 1987 Regulations set out the evidential requirements for claims for Statutory Maternity Pay. In each case, this includes setting out the format of a maternity certificate, how it must be completed and what information it must include. Regulation 2 amends the 1976 Regulations and regulation 3 amends the 1987 Regulations by removing the requirement for a maternity certificate to be completed in ink or other indelible substance to make it possible for non-original copies to be supplied in evidence.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for these Regulations as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: The Department for Social Development was renamed the Department for Communities in accordance with section 1(7) of the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (c. 5 (N.I.))

[^f00002]: 1992 c.8; relevant amending regulations S.I. 1999/671 and S.R. 1999 No. 149

[^f00003]: See Article 8(b) of S.R. 1999 No. 481

[^f00004]: 1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

[^f00005]: S.R. 1976 No. 175; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1987 No. 117 and S.R. 1991 No. 488

[^f00006]: S.R. 1987 No. 99; relevant amending Regulation is S.R. 1991 No. 488

Editorial notes

[^key-93324324dd97720df8500c933b7b74e7]: Reg. 1 in operation at 1.4.2026, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-330ea998ddd5c9d4f1e3e626204360ab]: Reg. 2 in operation at 1.4.2026, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-6754f1b59279cd0c374aacab7aec792a]: Reg. 3 in operation at 1.4.2026, see reg. 1(1)