The Social Security (New Deal Pilot) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Part I General

Citation, commencement and duration

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (New Deal Pilot) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and shall come into operation on 30th November 1998.

(2) These Regulations shall cease to have effect on 29th November 1999, unless revoked with effect from an earlier date.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations–

“the Order” means the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

“benefit” means jobseeker’s allowance or any earnings credited to a person in accordance with regulation 8A of the Social Security (Credits) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1975(1);

“the Disability Working Allowance Regulations” means the Disability Working Allowance (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992(2);

“employment officer” means a person who is at any time an employment officer for the purposes of Article 21 of the Order;

“employment-related course” has the same meaning as in regulation 1(2) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

“the Family Credit Regulations” means the Family Credit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(3);

“full-time student” has the same meaning as in regulation 1(2) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

“gateway interview” means an interview with an employment officer to identify and discuss matters that could help a person find work and matters that are preventing him from finding work;

“the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(4);

“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(5);

“the intensive activity period of the New Deal pilot for 25 plus” means the programme provided in pursuance of arrangements made under section 1 of the Employment and Training Act (Northern Ireland) 1950(6) for which only persons who are aged 25 years or over may be eligible, known as the intensive activity period of the New Deal for 25 plus, and which includes for any individual, job search activity and one or more of the following, namely training, study, assistance in pursuing self-employed earner’s employment and work experience.

“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(7);

“the New Deal Education and Training Opportunities pilot for 25 plus” means the programme provided in pursuance of arrangements made under section 1 of the Employment and Training Act (Northern Ireland) 1950 for which only persons who are aged 25 years or over may be eligible, known as the New Deal Education and Training Opportunities for 25 plus, being a programme which consists of a qualifying course within the meaning of regulation 17A of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations modified in accordance with regulation 18;

“part-time student” has the same meaning as in regulation 1(2) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations;

“week” means any period of seven days.

(2) In regulations 3 and 4, the references to receiving benefit for not less than 18 months or, as the case may be, for less than 18 months, referred to in those regulations means receiving benefit–

(a) without any period of interruption, or

(b) with a period of interruption which did not exceed 28 days, or

(c) with a number of periods of interruption, none of which exceeded 28 days,

and any period of interruption which did not exceed 28 days shall be taken into account in calculating the periods referred to in regulations 3 and 4.

(3) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(8) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Application: persons aged 25 and over in receipt of benefit for 18 months

3.  This regulation shall apply to any person who–

(a) on or after the date these Regulations come into operation attends an office of the Department or of the Department of Economic Development pursuant to a notice under regulation 23 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations, and

(b) on any day when he so attends is aged 25 or over but under pensionable age and has been receiving benefit for a period of not less than 18 months.

Application: volunteers

4.  This regulation shall apply to any person who–

(a) on or after the date these Regulations come into operation, attends an office of the Department or of the Department of Economic Development pursuant to a notice under regulation 23 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations and when he so attends volunteers to attend a gateway interview;

(b) on the day he so attends, is aged 25 or over but under pensionable age and has been receiving benefit for a period of less than 18 months, and

(c) in respect of whom an employment officer agrees that he may be given a gateway interview.

(1)

Regulation 8A was inserted by regulation 2(6) of S.R. 1996 No. 430.

(2)

S.R. 1992 No. 78; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1992 No. 403, S.R. 1994 No. 327, S.R. 1995 No. 86, S.R. 1997 No. 541 and S.R. 1998 No. 326.

(3)

S.R. 1987 No. 463; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1992 No. 148, S.R. 1994 No. 327, S.R. 1995 No. 86, S.R. 1997 No. 541 and S.R. 1998 No. 326.

(4)

S.R. 1987 No. 461; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1990 No. 130, S.R. 1991 No. 327, S.R. 1995 No. 89, S.R. 1996 No. 334, S.R. 1997 No. 541 and S.R. 1998 No. 325.

(5)

S.R. 1987 No. 459; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1989 No. 326, S.R. 1990 No. 387, S.R. 1992 No. 403, S.R. 1995 No. 86, S.R. 1997 No. 541 and S.R. 1998 No. 326.

(6)

1950 c. 29; section 1 was amended by Article 3 of the Employment and Training (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988/1087 (N.I. 10)) and Article 5 of the Industrial Training (Northern Ireland) Order 1990 (S.I. 1990/1200 (N.I. 8)).

(7)

S.R. 1996 No. 198; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1996 No. 356, S.R. 1997 No. 541 and S.R. 1998 Nos. 198 and 326.

(8)

1954 c. 33 (N.I.).