1. A person to whom benefit is payable for an uninterrupted period beginning before and ending after 15th March 1982 may make an election, in accordance with paragraph 3, that benefit be payable weekly after that date, if either–E+W+S
(a)he makes the election before the end of the 26th week from the day on which benefit was payable for the first four weeks in respect of which the Secretary of State made arrangements for four-weekly payment to the person entitled in accordance with regulation 21 or regulation 23(1)(b); or
(b)he was absent from Great Britain on the 15th March 1982 for one of the reasons specified in paragraph 4 and he makes the election before the end of the 26th week of the period beginning with the first week in respect of which benefit became payable to him in Great Britain on his return.