62. After section 16 of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 insert—
16A.—(1) Regulations may make provision for the making of payments (“hardship payments”) by way of an employment and support allowance to a person where—
(a)the amount otherwise payable to the person in respect of an employment and support allowance is reduced by virtue of regulations under section 11(3), 12(3) or 13(3), and
(b)the person is or will be in hardship.
(2) Regulations under this section may in particular make provision as to—
(a)circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being in hardship;
(b)matters to be taken into account in determining whether a person is or will be in hardship;
(c)requirements or conditions to be met by a person in order to receive hardship payments;
(d)the amount or rate of hardship payments;
(e)the period for which hardship payments may be made.”