(1)If it appears to the Department—
(a)that a person of or over the age of 16 but under the age of 18 is not entitled to income support; and
(b)that severe hardship will result to that person unless income support is paid to him,
the Department may direct that this subsection shall apply to him.
(2)Any such direction may specify a period for which subsection (1) above is to apply to the person to whom the direction relates.
(3)The person to whom such a direction relates shall be treated in accordance with it, but if at any time it appears to the Department that there has been a change of circumstances as a result of which failure to receive income support need no longer result in severe hardship to him, the Department may revoke the direction.
(4)The Department may also revoke the direction if—
(a)it is satisfied that the direction was given in ignorance of some material fact or was based on a mistake as to some material fact; and
(b)it considers that but for its ignorance or mistake it would not have determined that failure to receive income support would result in severe hardship.
(5)In this section “period” includes—
(a)a period of a determinate length;
(b)a period defined by reference to the happening of a future event; and
(c)a period of a determinate length but subject to earlier determination upon the happening of a future event.