PART IGENERAL

Interpretation2

1

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

  • “the Act” means the Jobseekers Act 1995;

  • “appropriate office” means an office, by whatever name it is from time to time known, of the Department for Education and Employment which is identified by reference to its name as at the date these Regulations come into force in one or more of the Schedules to these Regulations, and where such an office closes, the references in the Schedules to that office in relation to a person shall be construed as references to the office which that person is required to attend instead of that office;

  • “benefit” means jobseeker’s allowance or any earnings credited to a person in accordance with regulation 8A of the Social Security (Credits) Regulation 19758;

  • “the Council Tax Benefit Regulations” means the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 19929;

  • “the Disability Working Allowance Regulations” means the Disability Working Allowance (General) Regulations 199110;

  • “employment officer” means a person who is at any time an employment officer for the purposes of section 19 of the Act;

  • “employment-related course” has the same meaning as in regulations 1(3) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

  • “the Family Credit Regulations” means the Family Credit (General) Regulations 198711;

  • “full-time student” has the same meaning as in regulation 1(3) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

  • “gateway interview” means an interview with an employment officer to identify and discuss matters that could help a person find work and matters that are preventing him from finding work;

  • “the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 198712;

  • “the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations 198713;

  • “intensive activity period of the New Deal pilots for 25 plus” means a programme provided in pursuance of arrangements made by the Secretary of State under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 197314 for which only persons who are aged 25 years or over may be eligible, known as the intensive activity period of the New Deal pilots for 25 plus, and which includes for any individual, jobsearch activity and one or more of the following, namely training, study, assistance in pursuing self-employed earner’s employment and work experience;

  • “the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 199615;

  • “part-time student” has the same meaning as in regulation 1(3) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

  • “week” means any period of 7 days.

2

In regulations 3 to 5, the references to receiving benefit for not less than the periods or, as the case may be, for less than the period, referred to in those regulations means receiving benefit—

a

without any period of interruption, or

b

with a period of interruption which did not exceed 28 days, or

c

with a number of periods of interruption, none of which exceeded 28 days,

and any period of interruption which did not exceed 28 days shall be taken into account in calculating the periods referred to in regulations 3 to 5.

3

In respect of any period throughout which a member of a joint-claim couple is receiving a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance, the other member of that couple shall, for the purposes of regulations 3 to 5, also be treated as receiving benefit throughout that period.

4

In these Regulations a reference—

a

to a numbered regulation is to the regulation in these Regulations bearing that number;

b

in a regulation to a numbered paragraph is to the paragraph in that regulation bearing that number; and

c

to a numbered Schedule is to the Schedule to these Regulations bearing that number.