The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Reduced payments under Article 19 of the Order

63.—(1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the amount of an income-based jobseeker’s allowance which would otherwise be payable to a young person shall be reduced by a sum equal to 40 per cent. of the amount applicable in his case by way of a personal allowance determined in accordance with paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 for the period set out in paragraph (2) if—

(a) he was previously entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance and that entitlement ceased by virtue of the revocation of a direction under Article 18 of the Order because he had failed to pursue an opportunity of obtaining training or rejected an offer of training;

(b) his allowance has at any time in the past been reduced in accordance with this regulation or in accordance with regulation 68 (reduced amount of allowance) because he has done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b) or (c) of the Order or rendered not payable in accordance with Article 21(6)(a) or (b) of the Order read with Part V (sanctions) and he has—

(i) failed to pursue an opportunity of obtaining training without showing good cause for doing so;

(ii) rejected an offer of training without showing good cause for doing so, or

(iii) failed to complete a course of training and no certificate has been issued to him under Article 19(4) of the Order with respect to that failure;

(c) he has—

(i) done an act or omission falling within Article 18(3)(b)(i) or (ii) of the Order and has not shown good cause for doing so or done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b)(i), (ii) or (iv) of the Order without good cause or done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b)(i), (ii) or (iv) of the Order for which he was regarded as having good cause in accordance with regulation 67(1) (sanctions), and

(ii) after that act or omission failed to complete a course of training and no certificate has been issued to him under Article 19(4) of the Order with respect to that failure,

and at the time he did the act or omission falling within head (i) he was a new jobseeker;

(d) he has—

(i) failed to complete a course of training and no certificate has been issued to him under Article 19(4) of the Order with respect to that failure or done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b)(iii) of the Order without good cause or done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b)(iii) of the Order for which he was regarded as having good cause in accordance with regulation 67(1), and

(ii) after that failure he has failed to complete a course of training and no certificate has been issued to him under Article 19(4) of the Order with respect to that failure and on the day before the day he first attended the course referred to in head (i) he was a new jobseeker;

(e) he has failed to complete a course of training and no certificate has been issued to him under Article 19(4) of the Order with respect to that failure and on the day before he first attended the course he was a new jobseeker, or

(f) he has failed to complete a course of training and no certificate has been issued to him under Article 19(4) of the Order with respect to that failure and he lost his place on the course through his misconduct.

(2) The period shall start with and include the date on which the first severe hardship direction is made under Article 18 of the Order after the act referred to in paragraph (1)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f) have taken place and shall end 14 days later.

(3) In the case of a young person who is pregnant or seriously ill who does an act falling within paragraph (1)(a) to (f), the reduction shall be 20 per cent. of the amount applicable in his case by way of a personal allowance.

(4) For the purposes of this regulation, “new jobseeker” means a young person who has not since first leaving full-time education been employed or self-employed for 16 or more hours per week or completed a course of training or failed to complete a course of training and no certificate has been issued to him to show good cause for that failure under Article 19(4) of the Order or done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b)(iii) without good cause or done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(c) of the Order.

(5) A reduction under paragraph (1) or (3) shall, if it is not a multiple of 5p, be rounded to the nearest such multiple or, if it is a multiple of 2·5p but not of 5p, to the next lower multiple of 5p.