Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010

Persons under pensionable age to take part in work-focused interviews etc.

29.—(1) The Administration Act is amended as follows.

(2) In section 2A (claim or full entitlement to certain benefits conditional on work-focused interview)—

(a) in subsection (1)(a), for sub-paragraph (ii) substitute—

“(ii) has not attained pensionable age at the time of making the claim (but see subsection (1A)),”,

(b) in subsection (1)(b)(i), for “is under that age and” substitute “has not attained pensionable age and is”, and

(c) after subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) For the purposes of subsection (1) a man born before 6 April 1955 is treated as attaining pensionable age when a woman born on the same day as the man would attain pensionable age.”.

(3) In section 2AA (full entitlement to certain benefits conditional on work-focused interview for partner)—

(a) in subsection (1)(a), for sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) substitute—

“(i) has not attained pensionable age (but see subsection (1A)), and

(ii) has a partner who has also not attained pensionable age,”, and

(b) after subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) For the purposes of subsection (1) a man born before 6 April 1955 is treated as attaining pensionable age when a woman born on the same day as the man would attain pensionable age.”.

(4) In sections 2A(1)(a) and 2AA(1), for “a work-focused interview” substitute “one or more work-focused interviews”, and in section 2A(1)(b), for “such an interview” substitute “one or more work-focused interviews”