The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Jobseeker Mandatory Activity) Pilot Regulations 2007

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations replace the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Jobseeker Mandatory Activity) Pilot Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3466) (“the 2005 Regulations”). Their effect is to extend by a year the Jobseeker Mandatory Activity Pilot made under the pilot-making power in section 29 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 (c.18).

The Jobseeker Mandatory Activity Pilot is an employment programme which consists of a three-day course followed by three further follow-up interviews. Any claimant who falls within the criteria specified in regulation 3(2) is required to attend this programme.

Regulation 3(1)(a) amends regulation 69 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/207) so that any person who fails to participate in or attend any part of the pilot scheme may lose one week’s benefit for each such failure. Regulation 3(3) provides that a person ceases to be required to attend the pilot scheme if he changes address and is required to attend an office of the Department for Work and Pensions which is not in the pilot areas. Regulation 3(4) provides that regulation 3(3) should not affect a sanction (loss of benefit) imposed on a person before he changed address.

Regulation 4 is a transitional provision to enable the Jobseeker Mandatory Activity Pilot to transfer from the 2005 Regulations to these Regulations. It treats a person as meeting the regulation 3(2) criteria if he met the equivalent criteria in the 2005 Regulations.

The pilot areas are set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

A full Regulatory Impact Assessment has not been produced for this instrument because it has no impact on the costs of business, charities or voluntary bodies.