The Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999

Additional functions of local authorities E+W+S

4.—(1) A local authority to whom Part I of Schedule I to these Regulations applies may conduct a work-focused interview with, or provide assistance to, a person to whom paragraphs (2) and (3) apply, where the interview or assistance is requested or consented to by that person.

(2) This paragraph applies to a person who resides in a postcode district identified in Part I of Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

(3) This paragraph applies to any person making a claim for, or entitled to, any benefit specified in paragraph (4) and applies whether or not a person has had an interview in accordance with regulations made under section 2A of the Administration Act M1 .

(4) The benefits specified in this paragraph are—

(a) income support;

(b) housing benefit;

(c) council tax benefit;

(d) widow’s benefit;

(e) bereavement benefits;

[F1 (ea) bereavement support payment under section 30 of the Pensions Act 2014;]

(f) incapacity benefit;

(g) severe disablement allowance;

(h) [F2 carer’s allowance];

(i) a jobseeker’s allowance;

(j) disability living allowance.

(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the request or consent may be made or given to —

(a) the local authority conducting the interview or giving the assistance;

(b) any person who, or authority which, may be specified as a designated authority for the purposes of section 2A(8) of the Administration Act; or

(c) a person designated an employment officer for the purposes of section 9 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 M2 .

(6) For the purposes of carrying out functions under paragraph (1), a local authority may in particular—

(a) obtain and receive information or evidence for the purpose of any work-focused interview to be conducted with that person;

(b) arrange for the work-focused interview to be conducted by one of the following —

(i) the Secretary of State;

(ii) a person providing services to the Secretary of State; or

(iii) a person providing services to, or authorised to exercise any function of, the local authority;

(c) forward information supplied for the purpose of a work-focused interview to any person or authority conducting that interview;

(d) take steps to identify potential employment or training opportunities for persons taking part in work-focused interviews;

F3 (e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(f) take steps to identify—

(i) obstacles which may hinder a person in taking up employment or training opportunities;

(ii) educational opportunities which may assist in reducing or removing such obstacles; and

(g) record information supplied at a work-focused interview.

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 4(4)(ea) inserted (coming into force in accordance with art. 1-3 of the amending S.I.) by The Pensions Act 2014 (Consequential, Supplementary and Incidental Amendments) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/422), arts. 1(2), 16

F2 Words in reg. 4(4)(h) substituted (1.4.2003) by The Social Security Amendment (Carer's Allowance) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2497), reg. 1(b), Sch. 2 paras. 1, 2

F3 Reg. 4(6)(e) omitted (14.8.2000) by virtue of The Social Security (Work-focused Interviews for Lone Parents) and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/1926), reg. 1(2), 10, Sch. 2 para. 4(a)

Marginal Citations

M1 Section 2A was inserted by section 57 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999.

M2 1995 c.18.