Welfare Reform Act 2012

Welfare Reform Act 2012

2012 CHAPTER 5

Commentary on Sections

Part 1: Universal credit

Section 24: Imposition of requirements

86. Section 24 contains provisions about the imposition of requirements on claimants. Subsection (1)(a) allows for regulations to prescribe circumstances in which specific requirements must or must not be imposed on certain claimants. Subsection (1)(b) does the same for any action which may be specified by the Secretary of State. This can be used to prevent the imposition of requirements where it would be inappropriate to do so. Subsection (1)(c) allows for regulations to set parameters around the detail of any action that may be required by the Secretary of State. This may be used, for example, to prescribe a maximum number of interviews a claimant could be expected to attend in any given period.

87. Subsection (2) provides that when deciding whether a work-focused interview requirement or a particular action under a work preparation or work search requirement should be imposed the Secretary of State must take regard of any matters prescribed in regulations.

88. Subsection (3) allows for any requirement imposed or action to be specified to be changed or withdrawn. If a requirement or a change to a requirement is not included in the claimant commitment, the Secretary of State may determine how a claimant is to be notified under subsection (4).

89. Subsection (5) allows for claimants who have been victims of, or threatened with, domestic violence within a prescribed period to be exempted for a period 13 weeks from any work-related requirements applying to them. Further details of how domestic violence is to be defined and the circumstances in which this exemption may apply will be set out in regulations under subsection (6).