The Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Evidence and information in connection with an award

37.—(1) This regulation, apart from paragraph (7), applies to any person entitled to benefit, other than a jobseeker’s allowance, and any other person by whom, or on whose behalf, payments by way of such a benefit are receivable.

(2) Subject to regulation 8 of the Personal Independence Payment Regulations, a person to whom this regulation applies must supply in such manner as the Department may determine and within the period applicable under regulation 44(4)(a) of the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016(1) such information or evidence as the Department may require for determining whether a decision on the award of benefit should be revised under Article 10 of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998(2) or superseded under Article 11 of that Order.

(3) A person to whom this regulation applies must supply in such manner and at such times as the Department may determine such information or evidence as the Department may require in connection with payment of the benefit awarded.

(4) A person to whom this regulation applies must notify the Department of any change of circumstances which the person might reasonably be expected to know might affect—

(a) the continuance of entitlement to benefit;

(b) the amount of benefit awarded; or

(c) the payment of benefit,

as soon as reasonably practicable after the change occurs.

(5) A notification of any change of circumstances under paragraph (4) must be given—

(a) in writing or by telephone (unless the Department determines in any case that notice must be given in a particular way or to accept notice given otherwise than in writing or by telephone); or

(b) in writing if in any class of case the Department requires written notice (unless it determines in any case to accept notice given otherwise than in writing),

and must be sent or delivered to, or received at, the appropriate office.

(6) Where universal credit has been awarded to joint claimants, information relating to that award may be supplied by the Department to either or both members of the couple for any purpose connected with that award.

(7) Every person providing relevant childcare (as defined in regulation 37 of the Universal Credit Regulations), in a case where the claimant’s award of universal credit includes an amount in respect of childcare costs under regulation 32 of those Regulations, must supply such information or evidence in connection with the award, or any question arising out of it, as the Department may require, and must do so within one month of being required to do so or such longer period as it may consider reasonable.

(8) Where the calculation of an award of universal credit includes, by virtue of regulation 30 of the Universal Credit Regulations, an amount in respect of the fact that a claimant has regular and substantial caring responsibilities for a severely disabled person, the Department may require a person to whom this regulation applies to furnish a declaration signed by such severely disabled person confirming the particulars respecting the severely disabled person which have been given by that person.

(1)

S.R. 2016 No. 221.

(2)

S.I. 1998/1506 (N.I. 10); Article 11 was amended by paragraph 17 of Schedule 6 and Schedule 9 to the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/671).