The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Diminishing notional capital rule

114.—(1) Where a claimant is treated as possessing capital under regulation 113(1) (notional capital), the amount which he is treated as possessing—

(a) in the case of a week that is subsequent to—

(i) the relevant week in respect of which the conditions set out in paragraph (2) are satisfied, or

(ii) a week which follows that relevant week and which satisfies those conditions,

shall be reduced by an amount determined under paragraph (2);

(b) in the case of a week in respect of which paragraph (1)(a) does not apply but where—

(i) that week is a week subsequent to the relevant week, and

(ii) that relevant week is a week in which the condition in paragraph (3) is satisfied,

shall be reduced by an amount determined under paragraph (3).

(2) This paragraph applies to a benefit week or part-week where the claimant satisfies the conditions that—

(a) he is in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance, and

(b) but for regulation 113(1), he would have received an additional amount of jobseeker’s allowance in that benefit week or, as the case may be, that part-week;

and in such a case, the amount of the reduction for the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) shall be equal to that additional amount.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) the condition is that the claimant would have been entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance in the relevant week but for regulation 113(1), and in such a case the amount of the reduction shall be equal to the aggregate of—

(a) the amount of jobseeker’s allowance to which the claimant would have been entitled in the relevant week but for regulation 113(1); and for the purposes of this sub-paragraph if the relevant week is a part-week that amount shall be determined by dividing the amount of jobseeker’s allowance to which he would have been entitled by the number equal to the number of days in the part-week and multiplying the quotient by 7;

(b) the amount of housing benefit (if any) equal to the difference between his maximum housing benefit and the amount (if any) of housing benefit which he is awarded in respect of the benefit week which includes the last day of the relevant week, and for this purpose “benefit week” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(1) (interpretation).

(4) The amount determined under paragraph (3) shall be re-determined under that paragraph if the claimant makes a further claim for a jobseeker’s allowance and the conditions in paragraph (5) are satisfied, and in such a case—

(a) sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (3) shall apply as if for “relevant week” there were substituted “relevant subsequent week”, and

(b) subject to paragraph (6), the amount as re-determined shall have effect from and including the first week following the relevant subsequent week in question.

(5) The conditions referred to in paragraph (4) are that—

(a) a further claim is made 26 or more weeks after—

(i) the date on which the claimant made a claim for a jobseeker’s allowance in respect of which he was first treated as possessing the capital in question under regulation 113(1);

(ii) in a case where there has been at least one re-determination in accordance with paragraph (4), the date on which he last made a claim for a jobseeker’s allowance which resulted in the weekly amount being re-determined, or

(iii) the date on which he last ceased to be in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance,

whichever last occurred, and

(b) the claimant would have been entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance but for regulation 113(1).

(6) The amount as re-determined pursuant to paragraph (4) shall not have effect if it is less than the amount which applied in that case immediately before the re-determination and in such a case the higher amount shall continue to have effect.

(7) For the purposes of this regulation—

(a) “part-week” has the same meaning as in regulation 150(3);

(b) “relevant week” means the benefit week or part-week in which the capital in question of which the claimant has deprived himself within the meaning of regulation 113(1)—

(i) was first taken into account for the purposes of determining his entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance or income support, or

(ii) was taken into account on a subsequent occasion for the purposes of determining or re-determining his entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance or income support on that subsequent occasion and that determination or re-determination resulted in his beginning to receive, or ceasing to receive, a jobseeker’s allowance or income support,

and where more than one benefit week or part-week is identified by reference to heads (i) and (ii), the later or latest such benefit week or part-week;

(c) “relevant subsequent week” means the benefit week or part-week which includes the day on which the further claim or, if more than one further claim has been made, the last such claim, was made.

(1)

S.R. 1987 No. 461, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations