Jobseekers Act 1995

8 Attendance, information and evidence. E+W+S

(1) Regulations may make provision for requiring a claimant [F1 (other than a joint-claim couple claiming a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance)]—

(a) to attend at such place and at such time as [F2 an employment officer] may specify; and

(b) to provide information and such evidence as may be prescribed as to his circumstances, his availability for employment and the extent to which he is actively seeking employment.

[F3 (1A) Regulations may make provision—

(a) for requiring each member of a joint-claim couple claiming a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance to attend at such place and such time as the Secretary of State may specify;

(b) for requiring a member of such a couple to provide information and such evidence as may be prescribed as to his circumstances, his availability for employment and the extent to which he is actively seeking employment;

(c) for requiring such a couple to jointly provide information and such evidence as may be prescribed as to the circumstances of each or either member of the couple, the availability for employment of each or either member of the couple and the extent to which each or either member of the couple is actively seeking employment;

(d) where any requirement to provide information or evidence is imposed on such a couple by virtue of paragraph (c), for the joint obligation of the couple to be capable of being discharged by the provision of the information or evidence by one member of the couple.]

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) [F4 or (1A)] may, in particular—

(a) prescribe circumstances in which entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance is to cease in the case of a claimant who [F5 , or (as the case may be) a joint-claim couple claiming a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance a member of which,] fails to comply with any regulations made under that subsection;

(b) provide for entitlement to cease at such time (after he [F6 or, as the case may be, a member of the joint-claim couple] last attended in compliance with requirements of the kind mentioned in subsection (1)(a) [F7 or (1A)(a)]) as may be determined in accordance with any such regulations;

[F8 (c) provide for entitlement not to cease if the claimant or (as the case may be) either member of the joint-claim couple shows, within a prescribed period of the failure to comply on the part of the claimant or (as the case may be) a member of the couple, that the claimant or (as the case may be) the defaulting member of the couple had good cause for that failure; and]

(d) prescribe—

(i) matters which are, or are not, to be taken into account in determining whether a person has, or does not have, good cause for failing to comply with any such regulations; and

(ii) circumstances in which a person is, or is not, to be regarded as having, or not having, good cause for failing to comply with any such regulations.

[F9 (3) In subsection (1) “employment officer” means an officer of the Secretary of State or such other person as may be designated for the purposes of that subsection by an order made by the Secretary of State.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 8(1) inserted (19.3.2001) by 1999 c. 30, s. 59, Sch. 7 para. 7(2); S.I. 2000/2958, art. 2(2)

F2 Words in s. 8(1)(a) substituted (11.11.1999) by 1999 c. 30, ss. 70, 89(4)(b), Sch. 8 Pt. V para. 29(3)(a)

F3 S. 8(1A) inserted (19.3.2001) by 1999 c. 30, s. 59, Sch. 7 para. 7(3); S.I. 2000/2958, art. 2(2)

F4 Words in s. 8(2) inserted (19.3.2001) by 1999 c. 30, s. 59, Sch. 7 para. 7(4); S.I. 2000/2958, art. 2(2)

F5 Words in s. 8(2)(a) inserted (19.3.2001) by 1999 c. 30, s. 59, Sch. 7 para. 7(5); S.I. 2000/2958, art. 2(2)

F6 Words in s. 8(2)(b) inserted (19.3.2001) by 1999 c. 30, s. 59, Sch. 7 para. 7(6)(a); S.I. 2000/2958, art. 2(2)

F7 Words in s. 8(2)(b) inserted (19.3.2001) by 1999 c. 30, s. 59, Sch. 7 para. 7(6)(b); S.I. 2000/2958, art. 2(2)

F8 S. 8(2)(c) substituted (19.3.2001) by 1999 c. 30, s. 59, Sch. 7 para. 7(7); S.I. 2000/2958, art. 2(2)

F9 S. 8(3) inserted (11.11.1999) by 1999 c. 30, ss. 70, 89(4)(b), Sch. 8 Pt. V para. 29(3)(b)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 8 wholly in force at 7.10.1996; s. 8 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(2); s. 8 in force (12.12.1995) for the purpose of authorising the making of regulations by S.I. 1995/3228, art. 2(b), Sch.; s. 8 in force (7.10.1996) in so far as not already in force by S.I. 1996/2208, art. 2(b)