The Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

Severe hardship

18.—(1) If it appears to the Department—

(a) that a person—

(i) has reached the age of 16 but not the age of 18,

(ii) is not entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance or to income support, and

(iii) is registered for training but is not being provided with any training, and

(b) that severe hardship will result to him unless a jobseeker’s allowance is paid to him, the Department may direct that this Article is to apply to him.

(2) A direction may be given so as to have effect for a specified period.

(3) The Department may revoke a direction if—

(a) it appears to the Department that there has been a change of circumstances as a result of which failure to receive a jobseeker’s allowance need no longer result in severe hardship to the person concerned;

(b) it appears to the Department that the person concerned—

(i) failed to pursue an opportunity of obtaining training, or

(ii) rejected an offer of training,

and has not shown good reason for doing so; or

(c) the Department is satisfied that it was given in ignorance of some material fact or was based on a mistake as to some material fact and considers that, but for the ignorance or mistake, the Department would not have given the direction.

(4) In this Article—

• “period” includes—

  (a)

  a period of a determinate length;

  (b)

  a period defined by reference to the happening of a future event; and

  (c)

  a period of a determinate length but subject to earlier determination upon the happening of a future event.