The Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

3.—(1) The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(1) shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (6).

(2) In regulation 14(1)(2) (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as available) –

(a) after sub-paragraph (k) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph –

“(kk) if he is treated as capable of work in accordance with regulation 55A(3), for the period determined in accordance with that regulation;”; and

(b) after sub-paragraph (o)(4) there shall be added the following sub-paragraph –

“(p) if he is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland in the circumstances prescribed by regulation 50(6AA)(5) or, as the case may be, (6C)(6).”.

(3) In regulation 19(1) (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employment) –

(a) after sub-paragraph (k) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph –

“(kk) in any week during which he is for not less than 3 days treated as capable of work in accordance with regulation 55A;”; and

(b) after sub-paragraph (s)(7) there shall be added the following sub-paragraph –

“(t) if he is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland in the circumstances prescribed in regulation 50(6AA) or, as the case may be (6C).”.

(4) In regulation 50 (persons temporarily absent from Northern Ireland) –

(a) after paragraph (6) there shall be inserted the following paragraph –

“(6AA) For the purposes of the Order a claimant shall be treated as being in Northern Ireland during any period of temporary absence from Northern Ireland if –

(a) he was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance immediately before the beginning of that period of temporary absence; and

(b) that period of temporary absence is for the purpose of the claimant receiving treatment at a hospital or other institution outside Northern Ireland where that treatment is being provided –

(i) under Articles 5, 7 and 8 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 (services generally);

(ii) pursuant to arrangements made under Article 14A of that Order (voluntary organisations and other bodies), or

(iii) pursuant to arrangements made under paragraph 13 of Schedule 3 to the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (Health and Social Services trusts – specific powers).”;

(b) after paragraph (6B)(8) there shall be inserted the following paragraph –

“(6C) For the purposes of the Order a member of a joint-claim couple (“the first member”) shall be treated as being in Northern Ireland during any period of temporary absence if –

(a) he and the other member of that couple were entitled to a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance immediately before the beginning of that period of temporary absence; and

(b) that period of temporary absence is for the purpose of the first member receiving treatment at a hospital or other institution outside Northern Ireland where that treatment is being provided –

(i) under Articles 5, 7 and 8 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 (services generally);

(ii) pursuant to arrangements made under Article 14A of that Order (voluntary organisations and other bodies), or

(iii) pursuant to arrangements made under paragraph 13 of Schedule 3 to the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (Health and Social Services trusts – specific powers).”.

(5) In regulation 55 (short periods of sickness) after paragraph (4) there shall be added the following paragraph –

“(5) The preceding provisions of this regulation shall not apply to a claimant who is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland in the circumstances prescribed by regulation 50(6AA) or, as the case may be, (6C).”.

(6) After regulation 55 there shall be inserted the following regulation –

“Periods of sickness and persons receiving treatment outside Northern Ireland

55A.— (1) A person –

(a) who has been awarded a jobseeker’s allowance, a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance or is a person to whom any of the circumstances mentioned in Article 21(5) or (6) or 22A(2)(9) of the Order apply;

(b) who is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland in the circumstances prescribed by regulation 50(6AA) or, as the case may be, (6C);

(c) who proves to the satisfaction of the Department that he is unable to work on account of some specific disease or disablement, and

(d) but for his disease or disablement, would satisfy the requirements for entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance other than those specified in Article 3(2)(a), (c) and (f) of the Order (available for and actively seeking employment and capable of work),

shall be treated during that period of temporary absence abroad as capable of work, except where that person has stated in writing before that period of temporary absence abroad begins that immediately before the beginning of the period of that temporary absence abroad he has claimed incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or income support.

(2) The evidence which is required for the purposes of paragraph (1)(c) is a declaration made by that person in writing, in a form approved for the purposes by the Department, that he will be unfit for work from a date or for a period specified in the declaration.”.

(1)

S.R. 1996 No. 198; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1997 No. 138, S.R. 2000 No. 350 and S.R. 2001 No. 56

(2)

Paragraph (1) was amended by regulation 2(2) of S.R. 1997 No. 138

(3)

Regulation 55A is inserted by regulation 3(6) of these Regulations

(4)

Sub-paragraph (o) was inserted by regulation 2(2)(c) of S.R. 2001 No. 56

(5)

Paragraph (6AA) is inserted by regulation 3(4)(a) of these Regulations

(6)

Paragraph (6C) is inserted by regulation 3(4)(b) of these Regulations

(7)

Sub-paragraph (s) was inserted by regulation 2(3)(c) of S.R. 2001 No. 56

(8)

Paragraphs (6A) and (6B) were inserted by regulation 2(5) and paragraph 13 of Schedule 2 to S.R. 2000 No. 350

(9)

Article 22A was inserted by Article 56 of, and paragraph 14 of Schedule 7 to, the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11))