The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 and come into operation on 23rd May 2016.

Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

2.—(1) The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(1) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) In regulation 55 (short periods of sickness) after paragraph (6)(2) add—

“(7) For the purposes of calculating the number of occasions under paragraph (3), any occasion to which regulation 55ZA applies to the claimant is to be disregarded.”.

(3) In regulation 55ZA(3) (extended period of sickness)—

(a) In paragraph (1)—

(i) in sub-paragraph (b) after “disablement” insert “(“the initial condition”)”;

(ii) in sub-paragraph (c)(i)—

(aa) for the first “that disease or disablement” substitute “the initial condition or any other disease or disablement”; and

(bb) for “he does not expect to be unable to work on account of that disease or disablement for” substitute “not”;

(iii) in sub-paragraph (c)(ii), after “that regulation” insert “, and declares that he has been unable to work or expects to be unable to work, on account of the initial condition or any other disease or disablement, for 2 weeks or less”;

(b) in paragraph (3) at the beginning insert “Subject to paragraph (3A),”;

(c) after paragraph (3) insert—

“(3A) In a case where paragraph (1)(c)(ii) applies, but the period in which the person has been unable to work or expects to be unable to work in fact exceeds 2 weeks, the evidence that is required for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) is the evidence that is required in a case where paragraph (1)(c)(i) applies.”; and

(d) in paragraph (4) before “disease or disablement” omit “the”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Communities on 17th May 2016

(L.S.)

Anne McCleary

A senior officer of the Department for Communities