Interpretation and application2

• “the 1998 Act” means the Social Security Act 1998 M1;

• “benefit week” means any period of seven days corresponding to the week in respect of which the relevant specified benefit is due to be paid;

• F3...

• “the Careers Service” means—

  1. a

     in England and Wales, a person with whom the Secretary of State or, as the case may be, the National Assembly for Wales, have made arrangements under section 10(1) of the Employment and Training Act 1973 or a local education authority to whom a direction has been given by the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales under section 10(2) of that Act;

  2. b

     in Scotland, a person with whom the Scottish Ministers have made arrangements under section 10(1) of the Employment and Training Act 1973 or any education authority to whom a direction has been given by the Scottish Ministers under section 10(2) of that Act;

• “the Connexions Service” means a person of any description with whom the Secretary of State has made an arrangement under section 114(2)(a) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 M2 and section 10(1) of the Employment and Training Act 1973 and any person to whom he has given a direction under section 114(2)(b) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 and section 10(2) of the Employment and Training Act 1973;

• “interview” means a work-focused interview with a person who has claimed a specified benefit and which is conducted for any or all of the following purposes—

  1. a

     assessing that person’s prospects for existing or future employment (whether paid or voluntary);

  2. b

     assisting or encouraging that person to enhance his prospects of such employment;

  3. c

     identifying activities which that person may undertake to strengthen his existing or future prospects of employment;

  4. d

     identifying current or future employment or training opportunities suitable to that person’s needs; and

  5. e

     identifying educational opportunities connected with the existing or future employment prospects or needs of that person;

• F2“lone parent” has the meaning it bears in regulation 2(1) of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987;

• “officer” means a person who is an officer of, or who is providing services to or exercising functions of, the Secretary of State;

• F6“relevant benefit” means income support other than income support where one of the following paragraphs of Schedule 1B to the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 applies—

  1. a

     paragraph 7 (persons incapable of work), or

  2. b

     paragraph 24 or 25 (persons appealing against a decision which embodies a determination that they are not incapable of work);

• F1“specified benefit” means income support, incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance;

• F7“specified person” means—

  1. a

     a lone parent, or

  2. b

     a person who claims—

     1. i

        incapacity benefit,

     2. ii

        income support where paragraph 7 (persons incapable of work) of Schedule 1B to the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 applies,

     3. iii

        income support where paragraph 24 or 25 (persons appealing against a decision which embodies a determination that they are not incapable of work) of Schedule 1B to the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 applies, or

     4. iv

        severe disablement allowance.