The Employment Zones (Allocation to Contractors) Pilot Regulations 2005

Referral to an employment zone programme

3.—(1) An employment officer may, on a sampling basis, select a claimant who is aged 25 years or over and ordinarily resident within an employment zone to participate in an employment zone programme with a particular employment zone contractor if, in the period immediately preceding the date on which the selection is made, the claimant—

(a) was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance for a continuous period of at least 18 months;

(b) was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance for a cumulative total of at least 18 months out of the previous 21 months; or

(c) had participated in an employment zone programme pursuant to the Employment Zones Regulations or these Regulations in the previous twelve months but did not complete the programme.

(2) An employment officer may, on a sampling basis, select a claimant who is aged 18 years or over but less than 25 years who is ordinarily resident within an employment zone to participate in an employment zone programme with a particular employment zone contractor if, in the period immediately preceding the date on which the selection is made, the claimant—

(a) was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance for a continuous period of at least six months after participating in a New Deal for Young People programme or an employment zone programme pursuant to the Employment Zones Regulations or these Regulations;

(b) was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance for a cumulative period of at least six months after participating in a New Deal for Young People programme or an employment zone programme pursuant to the Employment Zones Regulations or these Regulations provided that any breaks in that period of entitlement do not exceed a period of 28 days in total; or

(c) had participated in an employment zone programme pursuant to the Employment Zones Regulations or these Regulations in the previous twelve months but did not complete the programme.

(3) The employment officer shall notify the claimant in writing that he is required to participate in the employment zone programme provided by that employment zone contractor.