12.—(1) The Secretary of State may make a budgeting advance to B for the purpose of defraying an intermittent expense of B if—
(a)B makes an application to the Secretary of State for a budgeting advance;
(b)B, or in a case where B is a member of a couple, B or their partner, is in receipt of universal credit;
(c)except where paragraph (2) applies, B or, in a case where B is a member of a couple, B or their partner, has been in receipt of benefit for a continuous period of at least 6 months on the date of the application for a budgeting advance;
(d)the earnings condition in regulation 13 is satisfied; and
(e)the recovery condition in regulation 14 is satisfied.
(2) This paragraph applies where the intermittent expense to be defrayed is necessarily related to B or, in a case where B is a member of a couple, their partner, obtaining or retaining employment.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c), “benefit” means—
(a)universal credit;
(b)employment and support allowance;
(c)income support;
(d)jobseeker's allowance; or
(e)state pension credit.
(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3)—
(a)“employment and support allowance” means an income-related allowance under Part 1 of the 2007 Act as it has effect apart from the amendments made by Schedule 3, and Part 1 of Schedule 14, to the 2012 Act (to remove references to an income-related allowance);
(b)“jobseeker's allowance” means an income-based jobseeker's allowance under the 1995 Act as it has effect apart from the amendments made by Part 1 of Schedule 14 to the 2012 Act (to remove references to an income-based allowance).