The Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 28) Order 2016

Made: 19th April 2016

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 150(3) and (4)(a) of the Welfare Reform Act 2012[^f00001]:

Citation

1

This Order may be cited as the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 28) Order 2016.

Interpretation

2

In this Order, “the Act” means the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

Appointed days

3

The day after the day on which this Order is made is the day appointed for the coming into force of section 112(2) of the Act, and section 112(1) of the Act in so far as it relates to section 112(2), for the purpose of making regulations under section 116ZA(8) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992[^f00002].

4

24th May 2016 is the day appointed for the coming into force of the following provisions of the Act—

• (a) section 112(1) and (2), for all remaining purposes;

• (b) section 112(3) to (6).

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Freud — Minister of State, — Department for Work and Pensions — 19th April 2016

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Commencement Order brings into force section 112 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c.5) (prosecution powers of local authorities). Section 112(1) and (2) insert into the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c.5) a new section 116ZA, which limits local authorities’ powers to prosecute housing benefit and council tax benefit fraud.

Article 3 of this Order brings into force section 112(2) of the Act, and section 112(1) of the Act in so far as it relates to section 112(2), for the purpose of making regulations under section 116ZA(8) to define “an investigation in respect of a benefit offence”.

Article 4 (a) brings into force section 112(1) and (2) for all remaining purposes.

Article 4 (b) brings into force section 112(3) to (6). These provisions make a number of consequential amendments to section 116A (local authority powers to prosecute benefit fraud) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2012 c. 5.

[^f00002]: 1992 c.5. Section 116ZA is inserted by section 112(1) and (2) of the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

[^f00003]: S.I. 2012/1246 (C. 42) was amended by S.I. 2012/1440 (C. 55) and 2530 (C. 102) .