The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Sanctions

67.—(1) Without prejudice to any other circumstances in which a person may be regarded as having good cause for any act or omission for the purposes of Article 21(5)(b) of the Order, and in addition to the circumstances listed in regulation 73, a young person is to be regarded as having good cause for any act or omission for the purposes of Article 21(5)(b) of the Order where—

(a) this is the first occasion on which he has done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b) of the Order and he has not while claiming a jobseeker’s allowance failed to pursue an opportunity of obtaining training without good cause or rejected an offer of training without good cause or 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 training, and

(b) at the time he did the act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b)(i), (ii) or (iv) of the Order he was not a new jobseeker or, in the case of an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(b)(iii) of the Order, at the time he first attended the scheme or programme he was not a new jobseeker.

(2) Without prejudice to any other circumstances in which a person may be regarded as having good cause for any act or omission for the purposes of Article 21(6)(c) or (d) of the Order, a young person is to be regarded as having good cause for any act or omission for the purposes of Article 21(6)(c) or (d) of the Order where the employer did not offer suitable training unless he falls within regulation 61(1)(a) or (f) (other young persons in prescribed circumstances) or his jobseeker’s allowance has been reduced in accordance with regulation 63 (reduced payments under Article 19 of the Order) 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) or (6)(c) or (d) of the Order or rendered not payable in accordance with Article 21(6)(a) or (b) of the Order read with Part V (sanctions).

(3) 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) of the Order without good cause or done an act or omission falling within Article 21(5)(c) of the Order.