Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 Explanatory Notes

1. Introduction

2. Background and Policy Objectives

   1. Part 1 - Social security

      1. Abolition of income support

      2. Work for your benefit

      3. Supporting parents with younger children into employment-‘Progression to work’

      4. Work-related activity for claimants of employment and support allowance

      5. Contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance and contributory employment and support allowance

      6. Community care grants

      7. Benefit fraud

      8. Sanctions

      9. Miscellaneous provisions

   2. Part 2 - Child maintenance

   3. Part 3 - Miscellaneous and supplementary

3. Consultation

4. Overview

5. Commentary on Sections

   1. Part 1: Social security

      1. Section 1:  Schemes for assisting persons to obtain employment: ‘Work for your benefit’ schemes etc.

      2. Section 2: Work-related activity: income support claimants and partners of claimants

      3. Section 3: Lone parents

      4. Section 4: Entitlement to jobseeker’s allowance without seeking employment etc.

      5. Section 5: Couples where at least one member capable of work

      6. Section 6: Statutory sick pay and employment and support allowance

      7. Section 7: Transitional provision relating to sections 4 to 6

      8. Section 8: Assembly procedure: regulations imposing work-related activity requirements on lone parents with children under 7

      9. Section 9: Abolition of income support

      10. Section 10: Power to direct claimant to undertake specific work-related activity

      11. Section 11: Conditions for contributory jobseeker’s allowance

      12. Section 12: Conditions for contributory employment and support allowance

      13. Section 13: Mobility component

      14. Section 14: Maternity allowance and carer’s allowance

      15. Section 15:  Community care grants relating to specified goods or services

      16. Section 16: Community care grants: reviews and information

      17. Section 17: Regulations relating to information: Assembly control

      18. Section 18: Payments on account

      19. Section 19: Loss of benefit provisions

      20. Section 20: Jobseeker’s allowance: sanctions for violent conduct etc. in connection with claim

      21. Section 21:  Repeal of sections 53 to 57 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000

          Section 22: Period for which pilot schemes have effect etc.

      22. Section 23: Exemption from jobseeking conditions for victims of domestic violence

      23. Section 24: Good cause for failure to comply with regulations etc.

      24. Section 25: Jobseekers’ agreements and action plans: well-being of children

      25. Section 26: Contracting out functions under Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

      26. Section 27: Attendance in connection with jobseeker’s allowance: sanctions

      27. Section 28: Social security information and employment or training information

      28. Section 29: Persons under pensionable age to take part in work-focused interviews etc.

      29. Section 30: Minor amendments

   2. Part 2: Child maintenance

      1. Section 31: Payments of child support maintenance

      2. Section 32: Child support maintenance: offences relating to information

   3. Part 3: Miscellaneous and supplementary

      1. Section 33: Consequential amendments of orders and regulations

      2. Section 34: Repeals

      3. Section 35: Interpretation

      4. Section 36: Commencement

6. Schedules

   1. Schedule 1 - Amendments connected to section 4

      1. Part 1

         1. 13A: Persons not required to meet the jobseeking conditions

         2. 13B: Provision which may be made by regulations under Article 13A

         3. 13C: Action plans in connection with work-focused interviews

         4. 20A: Requirements imposed on claimants by officers of the Departments etc.

         5. 20B: Work-related activity: Article 3A(4) claimants

         6. 20C: Definitions for purposes of Articles 21 and 22A

         7. 20D: Article 20C: supplemental

         8. 21:Certain circumstances in which a jobseeker’s allowance is not payable

         9. 22: Exemptions from Article 21

         10. 22A: Certain circumstances in which a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance is not payable

         11. 22B: Exemptions from Article 22A

      2. Part 2

   2. Schedule 2 - Abolition of income support: consequential amendments

   3. Schedule 3 - Loss of benefit provisions: further amendments

   4. Schedule 4 – Repeals

7. Hansard Reports