The Minister may make regulations for the purpose of giving effect to this Chapter and those regulations may, in particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing -
(a) specify the age for the purposes of section 149 (1) (a),
(b) specify the periods which shall be regarded as periods of retirement for the purposes of this Chapter,
(c) specify the circumstances in which a person is to be regarded as a separated spouse for the purposes of section 149 (1) (c) (ii), and
(ca) specify the circumstances in which a person is to be regarded as a civil partner where he or she is not living with the other civil partner of the civil partnership for the purposes of section 149(1) (c) (iia), and
(d) vary the weekly rate of pre-retirement allowance under section 150, but any such variation shall not reduce the weekly rates applicable immediately before the commencement of the regulations.