Part I The Jobseeker’s Allowance
F3 “Work for your benefit” schemes etc.
17ASchemes for assisting persons to obtain employment: “work for your benefit” schemes etc.
F41
Regulations may make provision for or in connection with imposing on claimants in prescribed circumstances a requirement to participate in schemes of any prescribed description that are designed to assist them to obtain employment.
2
Regulations under this section may, in particular, require participants to undertake work, or work-related activity, during any prescribed period with a view to improving their prospects of obtaining employment.
3
In subsection (2)
“work-related activity”, in relation to any person, means activity which makes it more likely that the person will obtain or remain in work or be able to do so.
4
Regulations under this section may not require a person to participate in a scheme unless the person would (apart from the regulations) be required to meet the jobseeking conditions.
5
Regulations under this section may, in particular, make provision—
a
for notifying participants of the requirement to participate in a scheme within subsection (1);
b
for securing that participants are not required to meet the jobseeking conditions or are not required to meet such of those conditions as are specified in the regulations;
c
for suspending any jobseeker's agreement to which a person is a party for any period during which the person is a participant;
d
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e
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f
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
In this section—
F6“claimant”, in relation to a joint-claim couple claiming a joint-claim jobseeker's allowance, means either or both of the members of the couple;“the jobseeking conditions” means the conditions set out in section 1(2)(a) to (c);“participant”, in relation to any time, means any person who is required at that time to participate in a scheme within subsection (1).
17BSection 17A: supplemental
F51
For the purposes of, or in connection with, any scheme within section 17A(1) the Secretary of State may—
a
make arrangements (whether or not with other persons) for the provision of facilities;
b
provide support (by whatever means) for arrangements made by other persons for the provision of facilities;
c
make payments (by way of fees, grants, loans or otherwise) to persons undertaking the provision of facilities under arrangements within paragraph (a) or (b);
d
make payments (by way of grants, loans or otherwise) to persons participating in the scheme;
e
make payments in respect of incidental expenses.
2
For the purposes of, or in connection with, any scheme within section 17A(1)—
a
the Scottish Ministers, and
b
the Welsh Ministers,
may make payments (by way of fees, grants, loans or otherwise) to persons (including the Secretary of State) undertaking the provision of facilities under arrangements within subsection (1)(a) or (b) if the following condition is met.
3
The condition is that the Scottish Ministers or the Welsh Ministers consider that the facilities are capable of supporting the training in Scotland or Wales of persons for employment.
4
Unless the Scottish Ministers or Welsh Ministers otherwise specify, the payments may be used by the person to whom they are made for the provision of any of the facilities provided under the arrangements.
5
In subsections (1) to (4)
“facilities” includes services, and any reference to the provision of facilities includes the making of payments to persons participating in the scheme.
6
The power of the Secretary of State to make an order under section 26 of the Employment Act 1988 (status of trainees etc) includes power to make, in relation to—
a
persons participating in any scheme within section 17A(1), and
b
payments received by them by virtue of subsection (1) above,
provision corresponding to any provision which (by virtue of section 26(1) or (2) of that Act) may be made in relation to persons using such facilities, and to such payments received by them, as are mentioned in section 26(1) of that Act.
Ss. 17A, 17B, and preceding cross-heading inserted (12.11.2009) by Welfare Reform Act 2009 (c. 24), ss. 1(2), 61(1)