PART 8CLAIMANT RESPONSIBILITIES
CHAPTER 3HARDSHIP
Recoverability of hardship payments114
1
Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), hardship payments are recoverable in accordance with section 69ZH of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (recovery of hardship payments etc.) M1.
F12
Paragraph (1) does not apply in relation to any assessment period in which—
a
the single claimant, or each joint claimant, falls within Article 24 of the Order by virtue of regulation 89 (claimants subject to no work-related requirements – the earnings threshold);
b
where regulation 89 applies to one of the joint claimants only, the joint claimants’ combined monthly earnings are equal to or exceed the amount of the individual threshold; or
c
where regulation 89 does not apply to the single claimant or to either of the joint claimants, that claimant or joint claimants’ combined monthly earnings are equal to or exceed the amount that a person of the same age as the claimant, or the youngest of the joint claimants, would be paid at the hourly rate specified in regulation 4 or regulation 4A(1)(a) to (c) of the National Minimum Wage Regulations for 16 hours per week, converted to a monthly amount by multiplying by 52 and dividing by 12.
3
Paragraph (1) ceases to apply where, since the last day on which the claimant’s or the joint claimants’ award was subject to a reduction under Article 31 or 32 of the Order—
a
the single claimant, or each joint claimant, has fallen within Article 24 of the Order by virtue of regulation 89 (claimants subject to no work-related requirements – the earnings threshold);
b
where regulation 89 applied to one of the joint claimants only, the joint claimants’ have had combined monthly earnings that are equal to or exceed the amount of the individual threshold; or
c
where regulation 89 did not apply to the single claimant or to either of the joint claimants, that claimant or the joint claimants’ have had combined monthly earnings that are equal to or exceed the amount that a person of the same age as the claimant, or the youngest of the joint claimants, would be paid at the hourly rate specified in regulation 4 or regulation 4A(1)(a) to (c) of the National Minimum Wage Regulations for 16 hours per week, converted to a monthly amount by multiplying by 52 and dividing by 12,
for a period of, or more than one period where the total of those periods amounts to, at least 6 months.