The Social Security (Employment Programme Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987.

In particular, these Regulations amend the definition of the Employment Option of the New Deal in regulation 75 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations so that the employed earner’s Employment Option of the New Deal becomes subject to sanctions of discretionary length and is omitted from the linking provisions set out in regulation 48.

These Regulations also provide that mandatory top-up payments made under section 1 of the Employment and Training Act (Northern Ireland) 1950 (c. 29) in relation to the Full-Time Education and Training Option of the New Deal shall be disregarded in the calculation of income or capital for jobseeker’s allowance, income support and housing benefit.

In so far as these Regulations are required, for the purposes of regulation 4, to be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, (“the 1992 Act”), after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee, they have not been so referred by virtue of section 150(1)(b) of that Act. Otherwise they make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the 1992 Act, are not subject to the requirements of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.