The Social Security (Back to Work Bonus) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Claiming a bonus

22.—(1) A claim for a bonus shall be made in writing on a form approved for the purpose by the Department and shall be made—

(a) subject to paragraph (7), not earlier than the beginning of the benefit week which precedes the benefit week in which an award of a qualifying benefit comes to an end, and

(b) subject to regulation 23(5) (claims: further provisions), not later than the end of the period of 12 weeks immediately following—

(i) in the case of a person who satisfies the third condition in regulation 7 (requirements of a bonus), the last day on which he was engaged in training;

(ii) in the case of a person to whom the fourth condition specified in regulation 7 applies, the date of separation;

(iii) in the case of a person to whom regulation 12 (couples who separate where the separated partner has attained the age of 60) applies, the date of separation;

(iv) in the case of a person who has attained pensionable age or, where the qualifying benefit is income support the age of 60, the date he attained that age;

(v) in any other case, the date on which entitlement to a qualifying benefit ceased on satisfaction of the work condition.

(2) A claim for a bonus shall be delivered or sent to an office of the Department.

(3) If a claim is defective at the date when it is received, the Department may refer the claim to the person making it and if the form is received properly completed within one month, or such longer period as the Department may consider reasonable, from and including the date on which it is so referred, the Department may treat the claim as if it had been duly made in the first instance.

(4) A claim which is made on the form approved for the time being is, for the purposes of paragraph (3), properly completed if it is completed by the applicant in accordance with instructions on the form and defective if it is not.

(5) An applicant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information and evidence in connection with the claim, or any question arising out of it, as may be required by the Department and shall do so within one month of being required to do so or such longer period as the Department may consider reasonable.

(6) In the case of a person who has served or is treated as having served a waiting period in accordance with regulation 6(1) (waiting period) and is a member of a couple in respect of whom income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance is payable, the claim for the bonus shall be made by the member of the couple entitled to the benefit.

(7) A person who has an employment to take up, or whose earnings from or the hours of his employment will increase within 14 days of completing his training or the date of separation and that employment satisfies the requirements of regulation 7(4)(b) or (5)(c) may make a claim for a bonus—

(a) in the case of a person who satisfies all the other requirements of the third condition specified in regulation 7, up to 14 days before the day following the last day of attendance on the course;

(b) in the case of a person who satisfies all the other conditions of the fourth condition specified in regulation 7, up to 13 days before the day on which he complies with the condition, but not before the day after the separation.