- Latest available (Revised)
- Point in Time (01/08/2002)
- Original (As enacted)
Version Superseded: 21/10/2002
Point in time view as at 01/08/2002. This version of this provision has been superseded.
You are viewing this legislation item as it stood at a particular point in time. A later version of this or provision, including subsequent changes and effects, supersedes this version.
Note the term provision is used to describe a definable element in a piece of legislation that has legislative effect – such as a Part, Chapter or section.
Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, Section 2A is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 02 September 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes and effects yet to be applied by the editorial team are only applicable when viewing the latest version or prospective version of legislation. They are therefore not accessible when viewing legislation as at a specific point in time. To view the ‘Changes to Legislation’ information for this provision return to the latest version view using the options provided in the ‘What Version’ box above.
(1)Regulations may make provision for or in connection with—
(a)imposing, as a condition falling to be satisfied by a person who—
(i)makes a claim for a benefit to which this section applies, and
(ii)is under the age of 60 at the time of making the claim,
a requirement to take part in a work-focused interview;
(b)imposing, at a time when—
(i)a person is under that age and entitled to such a benefit, and
(ii)any prescribed circumstances exist,
a requirement to take part in such an interview as a condition of that person continuing to be entitled to the full amount which is payable to him in respect of the benefit apart from the regulations.
(2)The benefits to which this section applies are—
(a)income support;
(b)housing benefit;
(c)widow’s and bereavement benefits falling within section 20(1)(e) and (ea) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (other than a bereavement payment);
(d)incapacity benefit;
(e)severe disablement allowance; and
(f)invalid care allowance.
(3)Regulations under this section may, in particular, make provision—
(a)for securing, where a person would otherwise be required to take part in interviews relating to two or more benefits—
(i)that he is only required to take part in one interview, and
(ii)that any such interview is capable of counting for the purposes of all those benefits;
(b)for determining the persons by whom interviews are to be conducted;
(c)conferring power on such persons or the designated authority to determine when and where interviews are to take place (including power in prescribed circumstances to determine that they are to take place in the homes of those being interviewed);
(d)prescribing the circumstances in which persons attending interviews are to be regarded as having or not having taken part in them;
(e)for securing that the appropriate consequences mentioned in subsection (4)(a) or (b) below ensue if a person who has been notified that he is required to take part in an interview—
(i)fails to take part in the interview, and
(ii)does not show, within the prescribed period, that he had good cause for that failure;
(f)prescribing—
(i)matters which are or are not to be taken into account in determining whether a person does or does not have good cause for any failure to comply with the regulations, or
(ii)circumstances in which a person is or is not to be regarded as having or not having good cause for any such failure.
(4)For the purposes of subsection (3)(e) above the appropriate consequences of a failure falling within that provision are—
(a)where the requirement to take part in an interview applied by virtue of subsection (1)(a) above, that as regards any relevant benefit either—
(i)the person in question is to be regarded as not having made a claim for the benefit, or
(ii)if (in the case of an interview postponed in accordance with subsection (7) below) that person has already been awarded the benefit, his entitlement to the benefit is to terminate immediately;
(b)where the requirement to take part in an interview applied by virtue of subsection (1)(b) above, that the amount payable to the person in question in respect of any relevant benefit is to be reduced by the specified amount until the specified time.
(5)Regulations under this section may, in relation to any such reduction, provide—
(a)for the amount of the reduction to be calculated in the first instance by reference to such amount as may be prescribed;
(b)for the amount as so calculated to be restricted, in prescribed circumstances, to the prescribed extent;
(c)where the person in question is entitled to two or more relevant benefits, for determining the extent, and the order, in which those benefits are to be reduced in order to give effect to the reduction required in his case.
(6)Regulations under this section may provide that any requirement to take part in an interview that would otherwise apply to a person by virtue of such regulations—
(a)is, in any prescribed circumstances, either not to apply or not to apply until such time as is specified;
(b)is not to apply if the designated authority determines that an interview—
(i)would not be of assistance to that person, or
(ii)would not be appropriate in the circumstances;
(c)is not to apply until such time as the designated authority determines, if that authority determines that an interview—
(i)would not be of assistance to that person, or
(ii)would not be appropriate in the circumstances,
until that time;
and the regulations may make provision for treating a person in relation to whom any such requirement does not apply, or does not apply until a particular time, as having complied with that requirement to such extent and for such purposes as are specified.
(7)Where—
(a)a person is required to take part in an interview by virtue of subsection (1)(a) above, and
(b)the interview is postponed by or under regulations made in pursuance of subsection (6)(a) or (c) above,
the time to which it is so postponed may be a time falling after an award of the relevant benefit to that person.
(8)In this section—
“the designated authority” means such of the following as may be specified—
a Northern Ireland department;
a person providing services to a Northern Ireland department;
any other body established by or under a statutory provision;
a person providing services to, or authorised to exercise any function of, any such body;
“interview” (in subsections (3) to (7) above) means a work-focused interview;
“relevant benefit”, in relation to any person required to take part in a work-focused interview, means any benefit in respect to which that requirement applied by virtue of subsection (1)(a) or (b) above;
“specified” means prescribed by or determined in accordance with regulations;
“work-focused interview”, in relation to a person, means an interview conducted for such purposes connected with employment or training in the case of that person as may be specified;
and the purposes which may be so specified include purposes connected with a person’s existing or future employment or training prospects or needs, and (in particular) assisting or encouraging a person to enhance his employment prospects.]
Textual Amendments
F1Ss. 2A, 2B and preceding cross-heading inserted (1.12.1999) by S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11), arts. 1(4), 54
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Point in Time: This becomes available after navigating to view revised legislation as it stood at a certain point in time via Advanced Features > Show Timeline of Changes or via a point in time advanced search.
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: