The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Exceptions from disqualification for imprisonment

96.—(1) Notwithstanding section 18(4)(b) of the Act(1), a claimant is not disqualified for receiving an employment and support allowance for any period during which that claimant is undergoing imprisonment or detention in legal custody—

(a) in connection with a charge brought or intended to be brought against the claimant in criminal proceedings;

(b) pursuant to any sentence of a court in criminal proceedings; or

(c) pursuant to any order for detention made by a court in criminal proceedings,

unless paragraph (2) applies.

(2) This paragraph applies where—

(a) a penalty is imposed on the claimant at the conclusion of the proceedings referred to in paragraph (1); or

(b) in the case of default of payment of a sum adjudged to be paid on conviction, a penalty is imposed in respect of such default.

(3) Notwithstanding section 18(4)(b) of the Act, a claimant “(C)” is not to be disqualified for receiving an employment and support allowance, for any period during which C is undergoing detention in legal custody after the conclusion of criminal proceedings if it is a period during which C is detained in a hospital or similar institution in Northern Ireland as a person suffering from mental disorder unless—

(a) C is detained under Article 53 of the Mental Health Order (removal to hospital of persons serving sentences of imprisonment etc.); and

(b) in any case where there is in relation to C a release date within the meaning of Article 56(3) of that Order (further provisions as to prisoners under sentence), C is being detained on or before the day which the Secretary of State certifies to be that release date.

(4) In this regulation—

(a) “court” means any court in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man or in any place to which the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act 1884(2) applies or any naval court-martial, army court-martial or air force court-martial within the meaning of the Courts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968(3) or the Courts-Martial Appeal Court;

(b) “hospital or similar institution” means any place (not being a prison, a young offenders centre, a juvenile justice centre or secure accommodation in a children’s home and not being at or in any such place) in which persons suffering from mental disorder are or may be received for care or treatment;

(c) “penalty” means a sentence of imprisonment or detention under Article 45(1) or (2) of the Criminal Justice (Children) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998(4);

(d) in relation to a person who is liable to be detained in Northern Ireland as a result of any order made under the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act 1884, references to a prison must be construed as including references to a prison within the meaning of that Act;

(e) criminal proceedings against any person must be deemed to be concluded upon that person being found insane in those proceedings so that the person cannot be tried or that person’s trial cannot proceed.

(5) Where a claimant outside Northern Ireland is undergoing imprisonment or detention in legal custody and, in similar circumstances in Northern Ireland, the claimant would, by virtue of this regulation, not have been disqualified for receiving an employment and support allowance, the claimant is not disqualified for receiving that allowance by reason only of the imprisonment or detention.

(1)

Section 18(4) was amended by paragraph 21(d) of Schedule 3 to the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015

(2)

1884 c. 31

(3)

1968 c. 20

(4)

S.I. 1998/1504 (N.I. 24); Article 45 was amended by paragraph 19 of Schedule 11 to the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 (c. 26)