The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008

Advance awards

146.—(1) Where section 5 of the Act (advance award of income-related allowance) applies to a claim and the claimant satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3)—

(a) the claim is to be treated as if made for a period from the relevant day; and

(b) the Secretary of State may award an employment and support allowance from the relevant day.

(2) In this regulation the “relevant day” is the day after the end of a period of 13 weeks beginning on the first day on which the claimant would be entitled to an income-related allowance if the claimant satisfied the condition in paragraph 6(1)(a) of Schedule 1 to the Act.

(3) The conditions are that—

(a) the Secretary of State is of the opinion that unless there is a change of circumstances the claimant will satisfy the conditions set out in section 1(3)(b) to (f) of, and Part 2 of Schedule 1 to, the Act when an income-related allowance becomes payable under the award; and

(b) the claimant is treated as having limited capability for work under regulation 20, 25, 26, 29 or 33(2) (conditions for treating a person as having limited capability for work) for the period before an income-related allowance becomes payable under the award.

(4) Where an award is made under paragraph (1)—

(a) the award for an employment and support allowance will become payable on the date on which the claimant would have been entitled to a main phase employment and support allowance if the claimant had satisfied the condition in paragraph 6(1)(a) of Schedule 1 to the Act before the relevant day;

(b) sections 4(4)(a) and 4(5)(a) of the Act do not apply to that award.