The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996

Chapter III Actively Seeking Employment

Steps to be taken by persons actively seeking employment

18.— [F1 (1) For the purposes of section 7(1) (actively seeking employment) a person shall be expected to have to take more than two steps in any week unless taking one or two steps is all that is reasonable for that person to do in that week.]

(2) Steps which it is reasonable for a person to be expected to have to take in any week include—

(a) oral or written applications (or both) for employment made to persons—

(i) who have advertised the availability of employment; or

(ii) who appear to be in a position to offer employment;

(b) seeking information on the availability of employment from—

(i) advertisements;

(ii) persons who have placed advertisements which indicate the availability of employment;

(iii) employment agencies and employment businesses;

(iv) employers;

(c) registration with an employment agency or employment business;

(d) appointment of a third party to assist the person in question in finding employment;

(e) seeking specialist advice, following referral by an employment officer, on how to improve the prospects of securing employment having regard to that person’s needs and in particular in relation to any mental or physical limitations of that person;

(f) drawing up a curriculum vitae;

(g) seeking a reference or testimonial from a previous employer;

(h) drawing up a list of employers who may be able to offer employment to him with a view to seeking information from them on the availability of employment;

(i) seeking information about employers who may be able to offer employment to him;

(j) seeking information on an occupation with a view to securing employment in that occupation.

(3) In determining whether, in relation to any steps taken by a person, the requirements of section 7(1) are satisfied in any week, regard shall be had to all the circumstances of the case, including—

(a) his skills, qualifications and abilities;

(b) his physical or mental limitations;

(c) the time which has elapsed since he was last in employment and his work experience;

(d) the steps which he has taken in previous weeks and the effectiveness of those steps in improving his prospects of securing employment;

(e) the availability and location of vacancies in employment;

(f) any time during which he was—

(i) engaged in the manning or launching of a lifeboat or in the performance of duty as a part-time member of a fire brigade or engaged during an emergency in duties for the benefit of others,

(ii) attending an Outward Bound course,

(iii) in the case of a blind person, participating in a course of training in the use of guide dogs,

(iv) participating in training in the use of aids to overcome any physical or mental limitations of his in order to improve his prospects of securing employment,

(v) engaged in duties as a member of any F2 ... reserve force prescribed in Part I of [F3 Schedule 6 to the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001],

(vi) participating as a part-time student in an employment-related course,

(vii) participating for less than 3 days in an employment or training programme for which a training allowance is not payable;

(g) any time during which he was engaged in voluntary work and the extent to which it may have improved his prospects of securing employment;

(h) whether he is treated as available for employment under regulation 14;

(i) whether he has applied for, or accepted, a place on, or participated in, a course or programme the cost of which is met in whole or in part out of central funds or by the [F4 European Union] and the purpose of which is to assist persons to select, train for, obtain or retain employed earner’s employment or self-employed earner’s employment; and

(j) where he had no living accommodation in that week the fact that he had no such accommodation and the steps which he needed to take and has in fact taken to seek such accommodation.

(4) Any act of a person which would otherwise be relevant for purposes of section 7 shall be disregarded in the following circumstances—

(a) where, in taking the act, he acted in a violent or abusive manner,

(b) where the act comprised the completion of an application for employment and he spoiled the application,

(c) where by his behaviour or appearance he otherwise undermined his prospects of securing the employment in question,

unless those circumstances were due to reasons beyond his control.

(5) In this regulation–

“employment agency" and “employment business" mean an employment agency or (as the case may be) employment business within the meaning of the Employment Agencies Act 1973F5 ;

“employment or training programme" means a course or programme the person’s participation in which is attributable to arrangements made by the Secretary of State under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 F6 for the purpose of assisting persons to select, train for, obtain or retain employed earner’s employment.

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 18(1) substituted (19.4.2004 for specified purposes, 18.10.2004 in so far as not already in force) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1008), regs. 1(2), 2(2)

F2 Words in reg. 18(3)(f)(v) omitted (6.4.2015) by virtue of The Social Security (Members of the Reserve Forces) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/389), regs. 1, 3(7)(a)

F3 Words in reg. 18(3)(f)(v) substituted (2.10.2006) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2378), regs. 1(3), 13(3)(a)

F4 Words in Instrument substituted (22.4.2011) by The Treaty of Lisbon (Changes in Terminology) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/1043), arts. 2, 3-6, 8-10

F5 1973 c.35.

F6 1973 c.50; section 2 was amended by section 25(1) of the Employment Act 1988 (c.19), by Part I of Schedule 7 to the Employment Act 1989 (c.38) and by section 47(1) of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993 (c.19).

[F7 Actively seeking employment in the period at the beginning of a claim

18A.— (1) Paragraph (2) applies in any case [F8 , other than a case which falls within regulation 19(1)(i) or (s),] where the period beginning on the date of claim and ending on the day before the beginning of the first week after the date of claim is less than 7 days.

(2) Where this paragraph applies, a person is actively seeking employment in the period referred to in paragraph (1) if he takes in that period such steps as he can reasonably be expected to have to take in order to have the best prospects of securing employment and in determining whether a person has taken such steps—

(a) the steps which it is reasonable for him to be expected to have to take include those referred to in regulation 18(2); and

(b) regard shall be had to all the circumstances of the case, including those matters referred to in regulation 18(3).]

Textual Amendments

F7 Reg. 18A inserted (11.3.1997) by The Social Security (Jobseekers Allowance and Mariners Benefits) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/563), regs. 1(1), 4

F8 Words in reg. 18A(1) inserted (30.11.1999) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/3087), regs. 1(1), 4

Circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employment

19.—(1) A person shall be treated as actively seeking employment in the following circumstances, subject to [F9 paragraphs (2) and (2A)] and to any maximum period specified in this paragraph—

(a) in any week during which he is participating for not less than 3 days as a full-time student in an employment-related course where participation by him has been approved before the course started by an employment officer, for a maximum of 2 weeks and one such course in any period of 12 months;

[F10 (aa) for any period for which he is treated as available for employment under regulation 14(1)(aa) (traineeships);]

(b) in any week during which he is attending for not less than 3 days a residential work camp, for a maximum of 2 weeks and one such occasion in any period of 12 months;

(c) in any week during which he is temporarily absent from Great Britain for not less than 3 days because he is taking a member of his family who is a child or young person abroad for treatment, for a maximum of 8 weeks;

(d) in any week during which he is engaged for not less than 3 days in the manning or launching of a lifeboat or in the performance of duty as a part-time member of a fire brigade or engaged during an emergency in duties for the benefit of others;

(e) if he is a member of a couple, in any week during which he is for not less than 3 days looking after a member of his family who is a child while the other member is temporarily absent from the United Kingdom, for a maximum of 8 weeks;

(f) if he is following an Open University course, in any week during which he is attending for not less than 3 days, as a requirement of that course, a residential course, for a maximum of one week per course;

(g) in any week during which he is for not less than 3 days temporarily looking after a child full-time because the person who normally looks after the child is ill or temporarily absent from home or the person is looking after a member of the family who is ill, for a maximum of 8 weeks;

(h) in the first week after the date of claim if he is treated as available for employment to any extent in that week under regulation 14(1)(h);

[F11 (i) for any period if he is treated as available for employment to any extent in that period under regulation 14(1)(h);]

[F12 (j) if the award is terminated other than on the last day of a week, for the period beginning with the beginning of the week in which the award is terminated and ending on the day on which the award is terminated;]

(k) in any week during which he is participating for not less than 3 days in a programme provided by the Venture Trust in pursuance of an arrangement made by [F13 the Scottish Ministers], for a maximum of 4 weeks and one such programme in any period of 12 months;

(l) in any week during which he is for not less than 3 days treated as capable of work [F14 or as not having limited capability for work] in accordance with regulation 55;

[F15 (lzl) in any week during which he is treated as capable of work or as not having limited capability for work under regulation 55ZA unless it would be reasonable for him to take steps in that week to seek employment and he has not taken such steps;]

[F16 (ll) in any week during which he is for not less than 3 days treated as capable of work [F14 or as not having limited capability for work] in accordance with regulation 55A;]

(m) in any week during which he is temporarily absent from Great Britain for not less than 3 days in order to attend an interview for employment and has given notice to an employment officer, in writing if so required by the employment officer, that he will be so absent, for a maximum of 1 week;

(n) if he is a member of a couple [F17 other than a joint-claim couple], in any week during which he and his partner are both absent from Great Britain for not less than 3 days and in which a premium referred to in paragraph 10, 11, 12, 13 or 15 of Schedule 1 (applicable amounts) is applicable in respect of his partner, for a maximum of 4 weeks;

[F18 (nn) if he is a member of a joint-claim couple, in any week during which he and his partner are both absent from Great Britain for not less than 3 days and in which a premium referred to in paragraph 20E, 20F, 20G or 20I of Schedule 1 (applicable amounts) is applicable in respect of his partner, for a maximum of 4 weeks;]

(o) in any week during which he is treated as available for employment on not less than 3 days under regulation [F19 14(2) or (2ZA)];

(p) in any week in respect of which he has given notice to an employment officer, in writing if so required by the employment officer, that—

(i) he does not intend to be actively seeking employment, but

(ii) he does intend to reside at a place other than his usual place of residence for at least one day;

(q) in any week during which he is participating for not less than 3 days in an employment or training programme [F20 (other than Work Experience)] for which a training allowance is not payable;

[F21 (r) in any week, being part of a single period not exceeding 8 weeks falling within a period of continuous entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance, during which he is taking active steps to establish himself in self-employed earner’s employment under any scheme for assisting persons to become so employed—

(i) where, in Wales, his participation under the scheme is attributable to arrangements made by the Secretary of State under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973

(ii) where, in Scotland, the scheme—,

(aa) is established by virtue of arrangements made by [F22 Skills Development Scotland,] Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise under section 2(3) of the Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990 or

(bb) is directly or indirectly provided by, or with financial assistance from, the Secretary of State,

(iii) where, in England, the scheme is directly or indirectly provided by, or with financial assistance from, the Secretary of State, the [F23 Urban Regeneration Agency] [F23 Homes and Communities Agency], an urban development corporation or a housing action trust,

and the single period referred to above shall begin with the week in which he is accepted on a place under the scheme.]

[F24 (s) for any period if he is treated as available for employment to any extent in that period under regulation 14(l)(o).]

[F25 (t) if he is temporarily absent from Great Britain in the circumstances prescribed in regulation 50(6B)(a) or (c), for the period of any such temporary absence.]

[F26 (u) if he is temporarily absent from Great Britain in the circumstances prescribed in regulation 50(6AA) or, as the case may be (6C).]

[F27 (v) in any week during which he is, for not less than three days, required to attend a court or tribunal as a justice of the peace, a party to any proceedings, a witness or a juror;

(w) if, for a maximum of 96 hours before being released, he is in—

(i) police detention within the meaning in section 118(2) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (general interpretation), or

(ii) legal custody within the meaning in section 295 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (legal custody in Scotland) but is not a prisoner as defined by regulation 85(4) (special cases).]

[F28 (x) in any week during which he is treated as available for employment under regulation 14A.]

[F29 (y) in any week during which he is engaged for not less than 3 days in training as a member of a reserve force prescribed in Part 1 of Schedule 6 to the Contributions Regulations, either—

(i) if he is engaged in his first year of training, for a maximum of 43 days in that year; or

(ii) if he is engaged in annual continuous training, for a maximum of 15 days in any calendar year.]

(2) In any period of 12 months a person shall be treated as actively seeking employment under paragraph (1)(p) only for the number of weeks specified in one of the following sub-paragraphs—

(a) a maximum of 2 weeks; or

(b) a maximum of 3 weeks during which he is attending for at least 3 days in each such week an Outward Bound course; or

(c) if he is a blind person, a maximum of 6 weeks during which, apart from a period of no more than 2 weeks, he participates for a maximum period of 4 weeks in a course of training in the use of guide dogs of which at least 3 days in each such week is spent in that training.

[F30 (2A) A person shall not be treated as actively seeking employment under paragraph (1)(v)—

(a) for more than eight weeks,

(b) where he does not, before the period during which he is required to attend the court or tribunal, give an employment officer notice, in writing where requested by the employment officer, that he is so required, or

(c) where he is a prisoner as defined by regulation 85(4) (special cases).]

(3) In this regulation–

“employment or training programme" means a course or programme the person’s participation in which is attributable to arrangements made by the Secretary of State under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 for the purpose of assisting persons to select, train for, obtain or retain employment;

“housing action trust" means a corporation established by an order of the Secretary of State pursuant to section 62(1) of the Housing Act 1988 F31 ;

“treatment" means treatment for a disease or bodily or mental disablement by or under the supervision of a person qualified to provide medical treatment, physiotherapy or a form of treatment which is similar to, or related to, either of those forms of treatment;

[F32 “tribunal” means any tribunal listed in Schedule 1 to the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992;]

“urban development corporation" means a corporation established by an order of the Secretary of State pursuant to section 135(1) of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 F33 ;

[F34 “Urban Regeneration Agency" means the agency referred to in section 158(1) of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 F35 .]

Textual Amendments

F9 Words in reg. 19(1) substituted (30.5.2006) by The Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1402), regs. 1, 2(4)(a)

F10 Reg. 19(1)(aa) inserted (27.3.2015) by The Social Security (Traineeships and Qualifying Young Persons) Amendment Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/336), regs. 1, 2(5)

F11 Reg. 19(1)(i) inserted (30.11.1999) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/3087), regs. 1(1), 5(2)

F12 Reg. 19(1)(j) substituted (7.10.1996) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support (General) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/1517), regs. 1, 7(3)

F13 Words in reg. 19(1)(k) substituted (14.4.2008) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/698), regs. 1(1), 4(6)

F14 Words in reg. 19(1)(l)(ll) inserted (27.10.2008) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Consequential Provisions) (No. 2) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1554), regs. 1(2)(b), 3(5)

F15 Reg. 19(1)(lzl) inserted (30.3.2015) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) Amendment Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/339), regs. 1, 2(3)

F16 Reg. 19(1)(ll) inserted (4.10.2004) by The Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1869), regs. 1, 3(3)(a)

F17 Words in reg. 19(1)(n) inserted (19.3.2001) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Joint Claims: Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/3336), regs. 1, 2(5)

F18 Reg. 19(1)(nn) inserted (19.3.2001) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Joint Claims: Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/3336), regs. 1, 2(6)

F19 Words in reg. 19(1)(o) substituted (24.11.2008) by The Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/3051), regs. 1(2), 11(10) (with reg. 13)

F20 Words in reg. 19(1)(q) inserted (5.4.2011) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Work Experience) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/789), regs. 1, 2(3)

F21 Reg. 19(1)(r) substituted (1.6.1998) by The Social Security Amendment (New Deal) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1274), regs. 1(1), 5

F22 Words in reg. 19(1)(r)(ii)(aa) inserted (6.4.2009) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/583), regs. 1(2), 4(3)(c)

F23 Words in reg. 19(1)(r)(iii) substituted (E.W.) (1.12.2008) by The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Consequential Provisions) (No. 2) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2831), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 7(2) (with Sch. 3 Sch. 4 paras. 5, 6)

F24 Reg. 19(1)(s) added (30.11.1999) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/3087), regs. 1(1), 5(3)

F25 Reg. 19(1)(t) inserted (19.3.2001) by The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Joint Claims: Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/3336), regs. 1, 2(7)

F26 Reg. 19(1)(u) added (4.10.2004) by The Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1869), regs. 1, 3(3)(b)

F27 Reg. 19(1)(v)(w) inserted (30.5.2006) by The Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1402), regs. 1, 2(4)(b)

F28 Reg. 19(1)(x) inserted (23.4.2012) by The Jobseeker's Allowance (Domestic Violence) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/853), regs. 1, 2(3)

F29 Reg. 19(1)(y) substituted (6.4.2015) by The Social Security (Members of the Reserve Forces) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/389), regs. 1, 3(4)

F30 Reg. 19(2A) inserted (30.5.2006) by The Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1402), regs. 1, 2(4)(c)

F31 1988 c.50.

F32 Words in reg. 19(3) inserted (30.5.2006) by The Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1402), regs. 1, 2(4)(d)

F33 1980 c.65.

F34 Words in reg. 19(3) omitted (E.W.) (1.12.2008) by virtue of The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Consequential Provisions) (No. 2) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2831), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 7(3) (with Sch. 3 Sch. 4 paras. 5, 6)

F35 1993 c.28.

Further circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employment: permitted period

20.—(1) A person to whom paragraph (2) does not apply shall be treated as actively seeking employment in any week during any permitted period determined in his case in accordance with regulation 16, if he is actively seeking employment in that week—

(a) only in his usual occupation,

(b) only at a level of remuneration not lower than that which he is accustomed to receive, or

(c) only in his usual occupation and at a level of remuneration not lower than that which he is accustomed to receive.

(2) A person to whom this paragraph applies shall be treated as actively seeking employment in any week during any permitted period determined in his case in accordance with regulation 16, if he is actively seeking employment, self-employed earner’s employment, or employment and self-employed earner’s employment in that week—

(a) only in his usual occupation,

(b) only at a level of remuneration not lower than that which he is accustomed to receive, or

(c) only in his usual occupation and at a level of remuneration not lower than that which he is accustomed to receive.

(3) Paragraph (2) applies to a person who has, at any time during the period of 12 months immediately preceding the date of claim, been engaged in his usual occupation in self-employed earner’s employment.

Further circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employment: laid off and short-time workers

21.  A person who has restricted his availability for employment in accordance with regulation 17(1) or, as the case may be, regulation 17(2), shall in any week in which he has so restricted his availability for not less than 3 days be treated as actively seeking employment in that week if he takes such steps as he can reasonably be expected to have to take in order to have the best prospects of securing employment for which he is available under regulation 17.

[F36 Further circumstances in which a qualifying person is to be treated as actively seeking employment: full-time students participating in a qualifying course

21A.   A person who is treated as available for employment in accordance with regulation 17A(3) shall be treated as actively seeking employment in any week—

(a) which, in relation to the qualifying course, falls wholly or partly in term-time;

(b) n which he is taking examinations relating to the qualifying course; or

(c) which falls wholly in a vacation from the qualifying course, if in that week he takes such steps as he can reasonably be expected to have to take in order to have the best prospects of securing employment for which he is available under regulation 17A(3)(c).]

Textual Amendments

F36 Reg. 21A inserted (1.6.1998) by The Social Security Amendment (New Deal) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1274), regs. 1(1), 6

[F37 Further circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employment: lone parents with children aged 5 not in full-time education

21B.   A lone parent who is treated for any period as being available for employment under regulation 17B shall be treated as actively seeking employment for the same period]

Textual Amendments

F37 Reg. 21B inserted (21.5.2012) by The Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/874), regs. 1(2), 3(3)

Interpretation of certain expressions for the purposes of regulations 18(3)(f)(i) and 19(1)(d)

22.  For the purposes of regulations 18(3)(f)(i) and 19(1)(d)—

(a) a person is engaged in duties for the benefit of others while–

(i) providing assistance to any person whose life may be endangered or who may be exposed to the risk of serious bodily injury or whose health may be seriously impaired,

(ii) protecting property of substantial value from imminent risk of serious damage or destruction, or

(iii) assisting in measures being taken to prevent a serious threat to the health of the people,

as a member of a group of persons organised wholly or partly for the purpose of providing such assistance or, as the case may be, protection;

(b) events which may give rise to an emergency include–

(i) a fire, a flood or an explosion,

(ii) a natural catastrophe,

(iii) a railway or other transport accident,

(iv) a cave or mountain accident,

(v) an accident at sea,

(vi) a person being reported missing and the organisation of a search for that person.