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- Point in Time (06/04/2005)
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Version Superseded: 02/01/2013
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Employment Rights Act 1996, Section 166 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 12 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.
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(1)Where an employee claims that his employer is liable to pay to him an employer’s payment and either—
(a)that the employee has taken all reasonable steps, other than legal proceedings, to recover the payment from the employer and the employer has refused or failed to pay it, or has paid part of it and has refused or failed to pay the balance, or
(b)that the employer is insolvent and the whole or part of the payment remains unpaid,
the employee may apply to the Secretary of State for a payment under this section.
(2)In this Part “employer’s payment”, in relation to an employee, means—
(a)a redundancy payment which his employer is liable to pay to him under this Part, F1. . .
[F2(aa)a payment which his employer is liable to make to him under an agreement to refrain from instituting or continuing proceedings for a contravention or alleged contravention of section 135 which has effect by virtue of section 203(2)(e) or (f), or]
(b)a payment which his employer is, under an agreement in respect of which an order is in force under section 157, liable to make to him on the termination of his contract of employment.
(3)In relation to any case where (in accordance with any provision of this Part) an [F3employment tribunal] determines that an employer is liable to pay part (but not the whole) of a redundancy payment the reference in subsection (2)(a) to a redundancy payment is to the part of the redundancy payment.
(4)In subsection (1)(a) “legal proceedings”—
(a)does not include any proceedings before an [F3employment tribunal], but
(b)includes any proceedings to enforce a decision or award of an [F3employment tribunal].
(5)An employer is insolvent for the purposes of subsection (1)(b)—
(a)where the employer is an individual, if (but only if) subsection (6) is satisfied, F4. . .
(b)where the employer is a company, if (but only if) subsection (7) is satisfied [F5, and
F5(c)where the employer is a limited liability partnership, if (but only if) subsection (8) is satisfied.]
(6)This subsection is satisfied in the case of an employer who is an individual—
(a)in England and Wales if—
(i)he has been adjudged bankrupt or has made a composition or arrangement with his creditors, or
(ii)he has died and his estate falls to be administered in accordance with an order under section 421 of the M1Insolvency Act 1986, and
(b)in Scotland if—
(i)sequestration of his estate has been awarded or he has executed a trust deed for his creditors or has entered into a composition contract, or
(ii)he has died and a judicial factor appointed under section 11A of the M2Judicial Factors (Scotland) Act 1889 is required by that section to divide his insolvent estate among his creditors.
(7)This subsection is satisfied in the case of an employer which is a company—
(a)if a winding up order F6. . . has been made, or a resolution for voluntary winding up has been passed, with respect to the company,
[F7(aa)if the company is in administration for the purposes of the Insolvency Act 1986,]
(b)if a receiver or (in England and Wales only) a manager of the company’s undertaking has been duly appointed, or (in England and Wales only) possession has been taken, by or on behalf of the holders of any debentures secured by a floating charge, of any property of the company comprised in or subject to the charge, or
(c)if a voluntary arrangement proposed in the case of the company for the purposes of Part I of the Insolvency Act 1986 has been approved under that Part of that Act.
[F8(8)This subsection is satisfied in the case of an employer which is a limited liability partnership—
(a)if a winding-up order, an administration order or a determination for a voluntary winding-up has been made with respect to the limited liability partnership,
(b)if a receiver or (in England and Wales only) a manager of the undertaking of the limited liability partnership has been duly appointed, or (in England and Wales only) possession has been taken, by or on behalf of the holders of any debentures secured by a floating charge, of any property of the limited liability partnership comprised in or subject to the charge, or
(c)if a voluntary arrangement proposed in the case of the limited liability partnership for the purpose of Part I of the Insolvency Act 1986 has been approved under that Part of that Act.]
Textual Amendments
F1Word in s. 166(2)(a) repealed (1.10.1998) by 1998 c. 8, s. 15, Sch. 2; S.I. 1998/1658, art. 2(2), Sch. 2 (with art. 3(5))
F2S. 166(2)(aa) inserted (1.10.1998) by 1998 c. 8, s. 11(2); S.I. 1998/1658, art. 2(2), Sch. 2 (with art. 3(5))
F3Words in s. 166(3)(4)(a)(b) substituted (1.8.1998) by 1998 c. 8, s. 1(2)(a) (with s. 16(2)); S.I. 1998/1658, art. 2(1), Sch. 1
F4Word in s. 166(5)(a) omitted (6.4.2001) by virtue of S.I. 2001/1090, reg. 5, Sch. 5 para. 18(1)(2)
F5S. 166(5)(c) and word “and” immediately preceding it inserted (6.4.2001) by S.I. 2001/1090, reg. 5, Sch. 5 para. 18(1)(2)
F6Words in s. 166(7)(a) repealed (15.9.2003) by Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), ss. 248, 278, 279, Sch. 17 para. 49(2)(a), Sch. 26 (with s. 249(1)-(3)); S.I. 2003/2093, art. 2(1) (subject to arts. 5-8) (as amended by S.I. 2003/3340, art. 2)
F7S. 166(7)(aa) inserted (15.9.2003) by Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), ss. 248, 278, Sch. 17 para. 49(2)(b) (with s. 249(1)-(3)); S.I. 2003/2093, art. 2(1) (subject to arts. 5-8) (as amended by S.I. 2003/3340, art. 2)
F8S. 166(8) inserted (6.4.2001) by S.I. 2001/1090, reg. 5 Sch. 5, para. 18(1)(3)
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