The Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 2013

PART 4 E+W+S Information and evidence

Provision of information and evidence E+W+S

31.—(1) A claimant must supply such information in connection with the claim for a jobseeker's allowance, or any question arising out of it, as may be required by the Secretary of State.

(2) A claimant must furnish such certificates, documents and other evidence as may be required by the Secretary of State for the determination of the claim.

(3) A claimant must furnish such certificates, documents and other evidence affecting their continuing entitlement to a jobseeker's allowance, whether that allowance is payable to them and, if so, in what amount, as the Secretary of State may require.

(4) A claimant must notify the Secretary of State—

(a) of any change of circumstances which has occurred which the claimant might reasonably be expected to know might affect their entitlement to a jobseeker's allowance or the payability or amount of such an allowance; and

(b) of any such change of circumstances which the claimant is aware is likely to occur.

(5) The notification referred to in paragraph (4) must be given as soon as reasonably practicable after the occurrence or, as the case may be, after the claimant becomes so aware, by giving notice of the change to an office of the Department for Work and Pensions specified by the Secretary of State—

(a) in writing or by telephone (unless the Secretary of State determines in any particular case that notice must be given in writing or may be given otherwise than in writing or by telephone); or

(b) in writing if in any particular case the Secretary of State requires written notice (unless the Secretary of State determines in any particular case to accept notice given otherwise than in writing).

(6) Where, pursuant to paragraph (1), a claimant is required to supply information, they must do so when they participate in a work-focused interview under section 6B of the Act, if so required by the Secretary of State, or within such period as the Secretary of State may require.

(7) Where, pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3), a claimant is required to provide certificates, documents or other evidence they must do so within seven days of being so required or such longer period as the Secretary of State may consider reasonable.

Alternative means of notifying changes of circumstances E+W+S

32.—(1) In such cases and subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State may specify, the duty in regulation 31(4) to notify a change of circumstances may be discharged by notifying the Secretary of State as soon as reasonably practicable—

(a) where the change of circumstances is a birth or death, through a local authority, or a county council in England, by personal attendance at an office specified by that authority or county council, provided the Secretary of State has agreed with that authority or county council for it to facilitate such notification; or

(b) where the change of circumstances is a death, by telephone to a telephone number specified for that purpose by the Secretary of State.

(2) In this regulation “local authority” has the same meaning as in section 191 of the Administration Act M1 .

Marginal Citations

M1 1992 c.5. The definition of “local authority” was amended by paragraph 94 of Schedule 16 to the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (c.19) and paragraph 175 of Schedule 13 to the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 (c.39).

Information given electronically E+W+S

33.—(1) A person may give any certificate, notice, information or evidence required to be given and in particular may give notice of a change of circumstances required to be notified under regulation 31 by means of an electronic communication, in accordance with the provisions set out in Schedule 2 to the Claims and Payments Regulations 2013.

(2) In this regulation, “electronic communication” has the meaning given in section 15(1) of the Electronic Communications Act 2000 M2 .

Marginal Citations

M2 The definition of “electronic communication” was amended by paragraph 158 of Schedule 17 to the Communications Act 2003 (c.21).