The Social Security (Traineeships and Qualifying Young Persons) Amendment Regulations 2015

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/207) (“the 1996 Regulations”), the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Schemes for Assisting Persons to Obtain Employment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/276) (“the SAPOE Regulations”), the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/376) (“the Universal Credit Regulations”) and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/378) (“the 2013 Regulations”) in so far as they relate both to traineeships and certain young persons claiming jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) or universal credit (UC).

Regulation 2(2) to (5) amends the 1996 Regulations, both to define a “traineeship” and provide that claimants for JSA who are participating in a traineeship are to be treated as available for, and actively seeking, work. This allows these claimants both to participate in a traineeship and remain entitled to JSA.

Regulations 4(a) and 5(b) respectively insert the same definition of ‘traineeship’ into the 2013 Regulations and the Universal Credit Regulations.

Regulation 3 removes the employment scheme ‘Traineeships’ from the SAPOE Regulations. This means that it is no longer a scheme prescribed for the purpose of section 17A(1) of the Jobseekers Act 1995 (c.18) as a scheme designed to assist person to obtain employment which the Secretary of State may require a JSA claimant to participate in.

Regulations 2(6), 4 and 5 amend the 1996 Regulations, the Universal Credit Regulations and the 2013 Regulations to provide that certain young persons who are participating in a traineeship are not treated, in respect of those claiming JSA, as receiving relevant education or, in respect of those claiming UC, receiving education. The effect of this is that young claimants participating in a traineeship may be entitled to JSA or, as the case may be, UC in their own right.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on business and civil society organisations. This instrument has no impact on the public sector.