The Universal Credit and Miscellaneous Amendments (No.2) Regulations 2014

Suspension of work-related requirement where child affected by death or violence

8.—(1) The Universal Credit Regulations 2013 are amended as follows.

(2) After regulation 98(1)(1) (victims of domestic violence) insert—

“(1A) Where a claimant referred to in paragraph (1) is a person who falls within section 22 of the Act (claimants subject to all work-related requirements) and is the responsible carer of a child, the Secretary of State must not impose a work search requirement or a work availability requirement on that claimant for a further period of 13 consecutive weeks beginning on the day after the period in paragraph (1)(a) expires.”.

(3) In regulation 99(2) (circumstances in which requirements must not be imposed)—

(a) in paragraph (1) in both places where it appears and in paragraph (2), after “(4)”, insert “, (4A),”;

(b) after paragraph (4) insert—

“(4A) This paragraph applies for one or more periods of one month, as provided for in paragraphs (4B) and (4C), where the claimant is the responsible carer of a child and an event referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) has taken place in the last 24 months and has resulted in significant disruption to the claimant’s normal childcare responsibilities—

(a) any of the following persons has died—

(i) a person who was previously the responsible carer of that child;

(ii) a parent of that child;

(iii) a brother or sister of that child; or

(iv) any other person who, at the time of their death, normally lived in the same accommodation as that child and was not a person who was liable to make payments on a commercial basis in respect that accommodation; or

(b) the child has been the victim of, or witness to, an incident of violence or abuse and the claimant is not the perpetrator of that violence or abuse.

(4B) Paragraph (4A) is not to apply for more than one period of one month in each of the 4 consecutive periods of 6 months following the event (and, if regulation 98 or paragraph (3)(d) of this regulation applies in respect of the same event, that month is to run concurrently with any period for which that regulation or paragraph applies).

(4C) Each period of one month begins on the date specified by the Secretary of State after the claimant has notified the Secretary of State of the circumstances in paragraph (4A) provided that the Secretary of State is satisfied that the circumstances apply.”

(1)

In regulation 98(4) the definitions of “coercive behaviour”, “controlling behaviour” and “domestic violence” substituted for definition of “domestic violence” by regulation 3(9) of S.I. 2013/1508. The definition of “registered social worker” was amended by regulation 2(6) of S.I. 2014/597.

(2)

Regulation 99 has been amended by S.I. 2014/597.