Interpretation and applicationE+W+S
2.—(1) In these Regulations—
“the 1998 Act” means the Social Security Act 1998 M1;
“benefit week” means any period of seven days corresponding to the week in respect of which the relevant specified benefit is due to be paid;
“claimant” means a claimant of a specified benefit who has a partner to whom these Regulations apply;
“interview” means a work-focused interview with a partner which is conducted for any or all of the following purposes—
assessing the partner’s prospects for existing or future employment (whether paid or voluntary);
assisting or encouraging the partner to enhance his prospects of such employment;
identifying activities which the partner may undertake to strengthen his existing or future prospects of employment;
identifying current or future employment or training opportunities suitable to the partner’s needs; and
identifying educational opportunities connected with the existing or future employment prospects or needs of the partner;
“officer” means a person who is an officer of, or who is providing services to or exercising functions of, the Secretary of State;
“partner” means a person who is a member of the same couple as the claimant, or, in a case where the claimant has more than one partner, a person who is a partner of the claimant by reason of a polygamous marriage, but only where—
the claimant has been awarded a specified benefit at a higher rate referable to that partner; and
both the partner and the claimant have attained the age of 18 but have not attained the age of 60;
“polygamous marriage” means any marriage during the subsistence of which a party to it is married to more than one person and the ceremony of marriage took place under the law of a country which permits polygamy;
“specified benefit” means a benefit to which section 2AA applies.
(2) Regulations 3 to 13 apply to a partner in circumstances where on or after 12th April 2004 the claimant’s award of a specified benefit is being administered from an office of the Department for Work and Pensions which is designated by the Secretary of State as a Jobcentre Plus Office M2 and the claimant has been continuously entitled to the benefit for 26 weeks or longer.
Marginal Citations
M2A list of offices designated as Jobcentre Plus Offices is available from the Department for Work and Pensions at the following address: Jobcentre Plus Implementation Project, Jobcentre Plus Head Office, Level 1, Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ.