The Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

PART 4 N.I. INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE

Provision of information and evidence N.I.

31.—(1) A claimant must supply such information in connection with the claim for a jobseeker's allowance, or any question arising out of it, as may be required by the Department.

(2) A claimant must furnish such certificates, documents and other evidence as may be required by the Department, for the determination of the claim.

(3) A claimant must furnish such certificates, documents and other evidence affecting their continuing entitlement to a jobseeker's allowance, whether that allowance is payable to them and, if so, in what amount, as the Department may require.

(4) A claimant must notify the Department—

(a) of any change of circumstances which has occurred which the claimant might reasonably be expected to know might affect their entitlement to a jobseeker's allowance or the payability or amount of such an allowance; and

(b) of any such change of circumstances which the claimant is aware is likely to occur.

(5) The notification referred to in paragraph (4) must be given as soon as reasonably practicable after the occurrence or, as the case may be, after the claimant becomes so aware, by giving notice of the change to an office of the Department specified by it—

(a) in writing or by telephone (unless the Department determines in any particular case that notice must be given in writing or may be given otherwise than in writing or by telephone); or

(b) in writing if in any particular case the Department requires written notice (unless the Department determines in any particular case to accept notice given otherwise than in writing).

(6) Where, pursuant to paragraph (1), a claimant is required to supply information, they must do so when they participate in a work-focused interview under Article 8B of the Order, if so required by the Department, or within such period as the Department may require.

(7) Where pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3), a claimant is required to provide certificates, documents or other evidence they must do so within 7 days of being so required or such longer period as the Department may consider reasonable.

Information given electronically N.I.

32.—(1) A person may give any certificate, notice, information or evidence required to be given and in particular may give notice of a change of circumstances required to be notified under regulation 31 by means of an electronic communication, in accordance with the provisions set out in Schedule 1 to the Claims and Payments Regulations 2016.

(2) In this regulation, “electronic communication” has the meaning given in section 4(1) of the Electronic Communications Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 M1 .

Marginal Citations

M1 2001 c. 9 (N.I.); the definition of “electronic communication” was amended by paragraph 170 of Schedule 17 to the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21)