The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

15.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (3) and paragraphs 38, 39 and 41, £20 of any charitable payment or of any voluntary payment made or due to be made at regular intervals, except any payment to which sub-paragraph (2) or paragraph 16 applies.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraphs (3) and (6) and paragraph 41, any charitable payment or voluntary payment made or due to be made at regular intervals which is intended and used for an item other than food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel, rent or rates for which housing benefit is payable, any housing costs to the extent that they are met under regulation 83(f) or 84(1)(g) (housing costs) or any accommodation charges to the extent that they are met under regulation 86 (persons in residential care or nursing homes), of a single claimant or, as the case may be, of the claimant or any other member of his family.

(3) Sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply—

(a) to a payment which is made by a person for the maintenance of any member of his family or of his former partner or of his children;

(b) to a payment made—

(i) to a person who is, or would be, prevented from being entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance by Article 16 of the Order (trade disputes), or

(ii) to a member of the family of such a person where the payment is made by virtue of that person’s involvement in the trade dispute.

(4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) where a number of charitable or voluntary payments fall to be taken into account in any one week they shall be treated as though they were one such payment.

(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2) the expression “ordinary clothing or footwear” means clothing or footwear for normal daily use, but does not include school uniforms, or clothing or footwear used solely for sporting activities.

(6) Sub-paragraph (2) shall apply to a claimant in a residential care home or nursing home only if his applicable amount falls to be calculated in accordance with regulation 86.