Explanatory Memorandum

Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007

2007 CHAPTER 2

27 June 2007

Commentary on Sections

PART 1: Employment and support allowance

Entitlement

Section 5: Advance award of income-related allowance

Section 5 provides for the situation where a person, due to having income exceeding the applicable amount, is not entitled to an income-related employment and support allowance in the assessment phase, but may become entitled to an income-related allowance when, at the end of the assessment phase, he becomes entitled to either the work-related activity component or the support component. This section modifies section 5(1) of the Administration Act to enable regulations to be made to deal with this situation. Such a case may arise because a person has an income above the applicable amount during the assessment phase (which would mean that the claim would normally be rejected) but, when the applicable amount includes the work-related activity or support component, his income is less than the applicable amount. Regulations will be able to provide that such a person can make a claim and that an award of employment and support allowance could arise at a future date, provided that certain conditions were satisfied.