Search Legislation

The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

 Help about opening options

Opening OptionsExpand opening options

Changes over time for: Cross Heading: Conditions of entitlement

 Help about opening options

Changes to legislation:

The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, Cross Heading: Conditions of entitlement is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 30 October 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Conditions of entitlementN.I.

Dual entitlementN.I.

56.  In section 1 of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (employment and support allowance), after subsection (6) insert—

(6A) In subsection (3)(f), in relation to a contributory allowance, the reference to a couple entitled to a joint-claim jobseeker's allowance does not include a couple so entitled by virtue of regulations under paragraph 8A of Schedule 1 to the Jobseekers Order.

Commencement Information

I1Art. 56 in operation at 17.2.2016 by S.R. 2016/46, art. 3(2)(b)(i)

Period of entitlement to contributory allowanceN.I.

57.—(1) After section 1 of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 insert—

1A.    Duration of contributory allowance

(1) The period for which a person is entitled to a contributory allowance by virtue of the first and second conditions set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 shall not exceed, in the aggregate, the relevant maximum number of days in any period for which his entitlement is established by reference (under the second condition set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1) to the same two tax years.

(2) In subsection (1) the “relevant maximum number of days” is—

(a)365 days; or

(b)if the Department by order specifies a greater number of days, that number of days.

(3) The fact that a person's entitlement to a contributory allowance has ceased as a result of subsection (1) does not prevent his being entitled to a further such allowance if—

(a)he satisfies the first and second conditions set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1, and

(b)the two tax years by reference to which he satisfies the second condition include at least one year which is later than the second of the two years by reference to which (under the second condition) his previous entitlement was established.

(4) The period for which a person is entitled to a contributory allowance by virtue of the third condition set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 (youth) shall not exceed—

(a)365 days; or

(b)if the Department by order specifies a greater number of days, that number of days.

(5) In calculating for the purposes of subsection (1) or (4) the length of the period for which a person is entitled to a contributory allowance, the following are not to be counted—

(a)days in which the person is a member of the support group,

(b)days not falling within paragraph (a) in respect of which the person is entitled to the support component referred to in section 2(1)(b), and

(c)days in the assessment phase, where the days immediately following that phase fall within paragraph (a) or (b).

(6) In calculating for the purposes of subsection (1) or (4) the length of the period for which a person is entitled to a contributory allowance, days occurring before the coming into operation of this section are to be counted (as well as those occurring afterwards).

(2) In section 25 of that Act (regulations)—

(a)in the heading, after “regulations” insert “ and orders ”;

(b)in subsections (1) and (2) after “regulations” insert “ or an order ”.

(3) In section 26 of that Act (Assembly control) in subsection (1) after “this Part” insert “ or any order made under section 1A ”.

(4) In Schedule 4 to that Act (transition relating to Part 1), in paragraph 7(2), at the end insert—

(f)make provision modifying the application of section 1A in relation to awards of an employment and support allowance to persons previously entitled to existing awards.

Commencement Information

I2Art. 57(1)-(3) in operation at 28.11.2016 by S.R. 2016/46, art. 5(a) (as substituted by S.R. 2016/166, art. 3)

I3Art. 57(4) in operation at 17.3.2016 by S.R. 2016/46, art. 5(a) (as substituted by S.R. 2016/166, art. 3)

Further entitlement after time-limitingN.I.

58.—(1) After section 1A of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (as inserted by Article 57) insert—

1B.    Further entitlement after time-limiting

(1) Where a person's entitlement to a contributory allowance has ceased as a result of section 1A(1) or (4) but—

(a)the person has not at any subsequent time ceased to have (or to be treated as having) limited capability for work,

(b)the person satisfies the basic conditions, and

(c)the person has (or is treated as having) limited capability for work-related activity,

the claimant is entitled to an employment and support allowance by virtue of this section.

(2) An employment and support allowance entitlement which is based on this section is to be regarded as a contributory allowance for the purposes of this Part.

(2) In section 1 of that Act (employment and support allowance), in the definition of “contributory allowance” in subsection (7), after “subsection (2)(a)” insert “ (and see section 1B(2)) ”.

Commencement Information

I4Art. 58 in operation at 28.11.2016 by S.R. 2016/46, art. 5(a) (as substituted by S.R. 2016/166, art. 3)

Condition relating to youthN.I.

59.  In section 1 of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (employment and support allowance), after subsection (3) insert—

(3A) After the coming into operation of this subsection no claim may be made for an employment and support allowance by virtue of the third condition set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 (youth).

Commencement Information

I5Art. 59 in operation at 17.2.2016 by S.R. 2016/46, art. 3(2)(b)(ii)

Back to top

Options/Help

You have chosen to open The Whole Order

The Whole Order you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Order as a PDF

The Whole Order you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Order without Schedules

The Whole Order without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Order without Schedules as a PDF

The Whole Order without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Order

The Whole Order you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Order without Schedules

The Whole Order without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open Schedules only

The Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?