Citation, commencement and interpretation1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Incapacity Benefit Work-focused Interviews) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and shall come into operation on 15th December 2008.

2

In these Regulations—

  • “the 1998 Order” means the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 19983;

  • “the 2001 Regulations” means the Social Security (Work-focused Interviews) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20014;

  • “the 2003 Regulations” means the Social Security (Work-focused Interviews) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20035;

  • “the 2005 Regulations” means the Social Security (Incapacity Benefit Work-focused Interviews) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20056;

  • “action plan” has the meaning given by regulation 6;

  • “benefit week” means any period of 7 days corresponding to the week in respect of which the relevant specified benefit is due to be paid;

  • “the designated authority” means the Department or the Department for Employment and Learning;

  • “relevant claimant” has the meaning given by regulation 2;

  • “relevant decision” has the meaning given by section 2B(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (supplementary provisions relating to work-focused interviews);

  • “specified benefit” means—

    1. a

      incapacity benefit;

    2. b

      income support, if any of the following paragraphs of Schedule 1B to the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19877 (prescribed categories of person) applies—

      1. i

        paragraph 7 (persons incapable of work),

      2. ii

        paragraph 24 or 25 (persons appealing against a decision which embodies a determination that they are not incapable of work);

    3. c

      severe disablement allowance;

  • “work-focused interview” means an interview conducted under regulation 5 for the purposes described in regulation 3.

3

Any notification under these Regulations that is sent by post is to be taken to have been received on the second working day after posting.