Welfare Reform Act 2007

18 Disqualification E+W+S

(1) Regulations may provide for a person to be disqualified for receiving an employment and support allowance, or treated for such purposes as the regulations may provide as not having limited capability for work, if—

(a) he has become someone who has limited capability for work through his own misconduct,

(b) he remains someone who has limited capability for work through his failure without good cause to follow medical advice, or

(c) he fails without good cause to observe any prescribed rules of behaviour.

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) shall provide for any such disqualification, or treatment, to be for such period not exceeding 6 weeks as may be determined in accordance with Chapter 2 of Part 1 of the Social Security Act 1998 (c. 14).

(3) Regulations may prescribe for the purposes of subsection (1)—

(a) matters which are, or are not, to be taken into account in determining whether a person has good cause for any act or omission;

(b) circumstances in which a person is, or is not, to be regarded as having good cause for any act or omission.

(4) Except where regulations otherwise provide, a person shall be disqualified for receiving [F1 a contributory allowance] [F1 an employment and support allowance] for any period during which he is—

(a) absent from Great Britain, or

(b) undergoing imprisonment or detention in legal custody.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 18(4) substituted (29.4.2013 for specified purposes, 1.7.2013 and 29.7.2013 for specified purposes, 28.10.2013 for specified purposes, 25.11.2013 for specified purposes, 24.2.2014 and 7.4.2014 for specified purposes, 23.6.2014 and further specified dates for specified purposes, 15.9.2014 and further specified dates for specified purposes, 26.11.2014 for specified purposes, 28.1.2015 for specified purposes) by Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5), s. 150(3), Sch. 3 para. 26(d); S.I. 2013/983, arts. 4(1)(b), 5, Sch. 1 (with arts. 6, 9(1), 22, Sch. 4) (as amended: (1.7.2013) by S.I. 2013/1511; (29.10.2013) by S.I. 2013/2657; (16.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1452; (30.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1661; (28.7.2014) by S.I. 2014/1923; (15.9.2014) by S.I. 2014/2321; (17.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3067; (21.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3094; (19.1.2015) by S.I. 2015/32 (as amended (10.2.2015) by S.I. 2015/101); (10.3.2015) by S.I. 2015/634; (20.7.2015) by S.I. 2015/1537; (23.11.2015) by S.I. 2015/1930; (6.4.2017) by S.I. 2017/483; (2.2.2018) by S.I. 2018/138; (16.1.2019) by S.I. 2019/10; and (31.1.2019) by S.I. 2019/167); S.I. 2013/1511, art. 4, Sch. (as amended or modified: (29.10.2013) by S.I. 2013/2657; (16.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1452; (30.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1661; (28.7.2014) by S.I. 2014/1923; (17.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3067; (19.1.2015) by S.I. 2015/32; (10.3.2015) by S.I. 2015/634; (20.7.2015) by S.I. 2015/1537; and (25.1.2017) by S.I. 2017/57); S.I. 2013/2657, art. 4, Sch. (with art. 6) (as amended or modified: (16.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1452; (30.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1661; (28.7.2014) by S.I. 2014/1923; (17.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3067; (19.1.2015) by S.I. 2015/32; (10.3.2015) by S.I. 2015/634; (20.7.2015) by S.I. 2015/1537; (23.5.2016) S.I. 2016/596; and (25.1.2017) by S.I. 2017/57); S.I. 2013/2846, art. 4, Sch. (with art. 5) (as amended or modified: (16.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1452; (30.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1661; (28.7.2014) by S.I. 2014/1923; (17.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3067; (19.1.2015) by S.I. 2015/32; (10.3.2015) by S.I. 2015/634; (20.7.2015) by S.I. 2015/1537; and (23.5.2016) by S.I. 2016/596); S.I. 2014/209, art. 4, Sch. (as amended or modified: (16.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1452; (30.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1661; (28.7.2014) by S.I. 2014/1923; (17.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3067; (19.1.2015) by S.I. 2015/32; (10.3.2105) by S.I. 2015/634; (20.7.2015) by S.I. 2015/1537; (23.5.2016) by S.I. 2016/596; and (25.1.2017) by S.I. 2017/57); S.I. 2014/1583, art. 4, Sch. (as amended or modified: (30.6.2014) by S.I. 2014/1661; (28.7.2014) by S.I. 2014/1923; (17.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3067; (19.1.2015) by S.I. 2015/32; (10.3.2015) by S.I. 2015/634; (20.7.2015) by S.I. 2015/1537; and (19.5.2017) by S.I. 2017/664); S.I. 2014/2321, art. 4 (as amended or modified: (17.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3067; (19.1.2015) by S.I. 2015/32; (10.3.2015) by S.I. 2015/634; (20.7.2015) by S.I. 2015/1537; (23.5.2016) by S.I. 2016/596; (29.9.2016) by S.I. 2016/963; (24.4.2017) by S.I. 2017/584; and (19.5.2017) by S.I. 2017/664); S.I. 2014/3094, art. 4 (with art. 6); S.I. 2015/33, art. 4 (with art. 6) (as amended: (11.2.2015) by S.I. 2015/101; (10.3.2015) by S.I. 2015/634; (6.4.2017) by S.I. 2017/483; (11.4.2018) by S.I. 2018/138; (16.1.2019) by S.I. 2019/10; (15.1.2019) by S.I. 2019/37); and (31.1.2019) by S.I. 2019/167)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pt. 1 modified by 1995 c. 18, Sch. 1 para. 2(2) (as inserted (27.10.2008) by Welfare Reform Act 2007 (c. 5), s. 70(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(6); S.I. 2008/787, art. 2(4)(f))

C2 S. 18(4)(b) excluded (27.10.2008) by Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/794), regs. 1(a), 160(3)

C3 S. 18(4)(b) excluded (27.10.2008) by Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/794), regs. 1(a), 160(1)

C4 S. 18(4)(b) excluded (29.4.2013) by The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/379), regs. 1(2), 96(3) (with reg. 1(3))

C5 S. 18(4)(b) excluded (29.4.2013) by The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/379), regs. 1(2), 96(1) (with reg. 1(3))

Commencement Information

I1 S. 18(1)(2)(4) in force at 18.3.2008 for specified purposes by S.I. 2008/787, art. 2(1)

I2 S. 18(1)(2)(4) in force at 27.10.2008 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2008/787, art. 2(4)(a)

I3 S. 18(3) in force at 27.10.2008 by S.I. 2008/787, art. 2(4)(a)