The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2011

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend a number of different regulations relating to employment programmes and training schemes.

Regulation 2 amends the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 to extend the maximum period for which the Work Experience employment programme can run from 8 weeks to 12 weeks where during the course of the Work Experience an apprenticeship is offered to and accepted by a participant and to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds who participate in Work Experience are not sanctioned for failing to participate.

Regulation 3 amends the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Employment, Skills and Enterprise Scheme) Regulations 2011 to provide that claimants participating on the New Enterprise Allowance initiative, under the Scheme, are not required to meet the jobseeker’s allowance eligibility criteria of having to actively seek employment, and to provide that claimants who are full-time students participating in the Scheme are not required to fulfil the jobseeker’s allowance eligibility criteria of having to be available for employment.

Regulation 4 amends the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 and the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 to provide that expenses paid to participants in the Employment, Skills and Enterprise Scheme or the Mandatory Work Activity Scheme are disregarded when calculating their partner’s entitlement to income support or employment and support allowance.

A full impact assessment has not been published for this instrument as it has no impact on the private sector and civil society organisations.