The Income Support (Work-Related Activity) and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2014

Amendment of the Social Security (Work-focused Interviews for Lone Parents) and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2000

13.—(1) The Social Security (Work-focused Interviews for Lone Parents) and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2000(1) are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 2ZA (requirement for certain lone parents to take part in an interview)—

(a) in paragraph (1)—

(i) after sub-paragraph (a) insert “and”;

(ii) omit sub-paragraph (c) and the “and” that precedes it;

(b) for paragraph (2) substitute—

“(2) Subject to regulations 4 and 5, a lone parent to whom this regulation applies is required to take part in one or more interviews as a condition of continuing to be entitled to the full amount of benefit which is payable to him apart from these Regulations.”;

(c) in paragraph (3)(b) omit “waived or”.

(3) For regulation 2C(1) (the interview) substitute—

“(1) An interview under these Regulations shall take place—

(a) where regulation 2ZA applies, on such date as may be determined by an officer;

(b) in any other case, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the date on which the requirement to take part in the interview arises.”.

(4) In regulation 4 (circumstances where requirement to take part in an interview does not apply)—

(a) in paragraph (1), after “Regulation 2”, insert “, 2ZA”;

(b) in paragraph (1A) for “Regulation 2” substitute “Regulations 2 and 2ZA”; and

(c) omit paragraph (3).

(5) In regulation 6 (waiver)—

(a) in paragraph (1) for “these Regulations” substitute “regulations 2(1) and 2ZB(2)”; and

(b) in paragraph (2)(a) omit “, 2ZA”.

(6) In regulation 7 (consequence of failure to take part in an interview)—

(a) in paragraph (1)—

(i) for “(2) and (5)” substitute “(2), (5) and (5A)”; and

(ii) in sub-paragraph (b) for “day on which the interview was to take place” substitute “date on which the person was notified of his failure to take part in the interview”;

(b) after paragraph (1) insert—

“(1A) Where a notice under paragraph (1)(b) is sent by post it is taken to have been received on the second working day after it is sent.”.

(c) in paragraph (2)(a) for “day on which the interview was to take place” substitute “date on which the person was notified of his failure to take part in the interview”;

(d) after paragraph (5) insert—

“(5A) The amount of income support payable to a person is not to be reduced in accordance with paragraph (3) if that amount—

(a) is, at the time a decision falls to be made in respect of the current failure, being paid at a reduced rate in accordance with paragraph (3) and regulation 8, regulation 12(2)(c) of the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2002(2) or regulation 8(1) and (2) of the Income Support (Work-Related Activity) and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2014; and

(b) was last reduced not more than two weeks before the date of the current failure.

(5B) In paragraph (5A), “current failure” means a failure which may, in the case of a claimant who has an award of income support, lead to a reduction in income support under paragraph (3) and regulation 8 in relation to which the Secretary of State has not yet determined whether the amount of income support payable to the person is to be reduced in accordance with that paragraph and regulation.”.

(7) In regulation 8—

(a) in paragraph (3)(c) for “meets the requirement to take part in an interview” substitute “satisfies a compliance condition”; and

(b) after paragraph (3)(d) insert—

“(4) In paragraph (3)(c), “compliance condition” means a requirement to—

(a) take part in an interview; or

(b) undertake work-related activity.”.

(1)

S.I. 2000/1926; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2005/2727, 2007/1034, 2008/3051, 2010/563, 2011/674 and 2428, and 2012/874.

(2)

S.I. 2002/1703; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2005/2727, S.I. 2011/2425 and S.I. 2011/2428.