The Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Evidence and information in connection with a claim N.I.

36.—(1) Subject to regulation 8 of the Personal Independence Payment Regulations (information or evidence required for determining limited or severely limited ability to carry out activities), paragraphs (2) and (3) apply to a person who makes a claim for benefit, other than a jobseeker's allowance, or on whose behalf a claim is made.

(2) The Department may require the person to supply information or evidence in connection with the claim, or any question arising out of it, as it considers appropriate.

(3) The person must supply the Department with the information or evidence in such manner as the Department determines within one month of first being required to do so or such longer period as it considers reasonable.

(4) Where joint claimants have made a claim for universal credit, information relating to that claim may be supplied by the Department to either or both members of the couple for any purpose connected with the claim.

(5) Where a person is a member of a couple and may make a claim as a single person by virtue of regulation 3(2) of the Universal Credit Regulations (couples) and entitlement to or the amount of any universal credit is or may be affected by the circumstances of their partner, the Department may require the partner to—

(a) confirm the information given about the partner's circumstances;

(b) supply information or evidence in connection with the claim, or any question arising out of it, as the Department may require,

within one month of being required to do so or such longer period as it may consider reasonable.

(6) The Department may require a landlord to supply information or evidence in connection with a claim for universal credit that may include in the calculation of an award an amount in respect of housing costs, and any information or evidence so requested must be supplied within one month of the request or such longer period as the Department considers reasonable.

(7) Every person providing relevant childcare (as defined in regulation 37 of the Universal Credit Regulations), in a case where the claimant's award of universal credit may include an amount in respect of childcare costs under regulation 32 of those Regulations, must supply such information or evidence in connection with the claim made by the claimant, or any question arising out of it, as may be required by the Department, and must do so within one month of being required to do so or such longer period as it may consider reasonable.

(8) In this regulation any reference to a person or joint claimants making a claim for benefit, other than a jobseeker's allowance, is to be interpreted as including a person or joint claimants in a case where it is not a condition of entitlement to benefit that a claim be made for it.

(9) In this regulation any reference to a claim for a benefit, other than a jobseeker's allowance, is to be interpreted as including a potential award of benefit in a case where it is not a condition of entitlement to benefit that a claim be made for it.