These Regulations amend the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations”).

They amend the definition of “employment officer” to include a person who is an employment officer for the purposes of Article 10 of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (regulation 2(2)).

They substitute references to “the Department” with references to “an employment officer” and so provide that— a a claimant shall attend at such time and place as an employment officer may specify (regulation 2(3) and (4)(c)); b a claimant can notify the Department or an employment officer of matters concerning his availablity for employment, actively seeking employment and changes in his circumstances (regulation 2(4)(a) and (b)); c where a claimant who is required to attend at a time and place specified in a notice under regulation 23 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations attends on the right day but at the wrong time, his entitlement will cease if, having then received a written warning from an employment officer, he attends at the wrong time again on the next due date (regulation 2(5)).

The Regulations are consequential upon Article 67 of, and paragraph 27(3) of Schedule 8 to, the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11)) which came into operation on 1st December 1999. The Regulations are made before the end of a period of 6 months from the commencement of the said provision and they are, by virtue of section 150(5)(a) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8), exempt from reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.