http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/5/section/11KWelfare Reform Act 2007An Act to make provision about social security; to amend the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979; and for connected purposes.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-08-20Expert Participation2026-07-01 Part 1Employment and support allowance<Emphasis><Repeal ChangeId="key-c7ff5ca6cfc7ac0256f01590ed666323-1590062043834" CommentaryRef="key-c7ff5ca6cfc7ac0256f01590ed666323" RetainText="true" SubstitutionRef="key-c7ff5ca6cfc7ac0256f01590ed666323-1590062043835">Conditionality</Repeal></Emphasis><Emphasis><Addition ChangeId="key-c7ff5ca6cfc7ac0256f01590ed666323-1590062043835" CommentaryRef="key-c7ff5ca6cfc7ac0256f01590ed666323">Work-related requirements</Addition></Emphasis><Addition ChangeId="key-c7ff5ca6cfc7ac0256f01590ed666323-1590064242825" CommentaryRef="key-c7ff5ca6cfc7ac0256f01590ed666323">Delegation and contracting out</Addition>11K1The functions of the Secretary of State under sections 11 to 11I may be exercised by, or by the employees of, such person as the Secretary of State may authorise for the purpose (an “authorised person”).2An authorisation given by virtue of this section may authorise the exercise of a function—awholly or to a limited extent;bgenerally or in particular cases or areas;cunconditionally or subject to conditions.3An authorisation under this section—amay specify its duration;bmay be varied or revoked at any time by the Secretary of State;cdoes not prevent the Secretary of State or another person from exercising the function to which the authorisation relates.4Anything done or omitted to be done by or in relation to an authorised person (or an employee of that person) in, or in connection with, the exercise or purported exercise of the function concerned is to be treated for all purposes as done or omitted to be done by or in relation to the Secretary of State or (as the case may be) an officer of the Secretary of State.5Subsection (4) does not apply—afor the purposes of so much of any contract made between the authorised person and the Secretary of State as relates to the exercise of the function, orbfor the purposes of any criminal proceedings brought in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by the authorised person (or an employee of that person).6Where—athe authorisation of an authorised person is revoked, andbat the time of the revocation so much of any contract made between the authorised person and the Secretary of State as relates to the exercise of the function is subsisting,the authorised person is entitled to treat the contract as repudiated by the Secretary of State (and not as frustrated by reason of the revocation).Pt. 1 modified by 1995 c. 18, Sch. 1 para. 2(2) (as inserted (27.10.2008) by Welfare Reform Act 2007 (c. 5), s. 70(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(6); S.I. 2008/787, art. 2(4)(f))Pt. 1 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2010) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/875), regs. 1(2), 6, Sch. 1 (which amending S.I. was revoked (27.8.2010) by SI 2010/1906, reg. 2)Pt. 1 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2010) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/875), regs. 1(2), 16, Sch. 2 (which amending S.I. was revoked (27.8.2010) by SI 2010/1906, reg. 2)Pt. 1 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2010) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1907), regs. 1(2), 6(2)(a), Sch. 1Pt. 1 applied (with modifications (as amended)) (1.10.2010) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1907), regs. 1(2), 16(2)(a), Sch. 2; (1.5.2012) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Duration of Contributory Allowance) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/913), regs. 1(2), 10(4)Pt. 1 modified (22.2.2012) by The Social Security (Reciprocal Agreements) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/360), arts. 1, 2, Sch. 1, Sch. 2Ss. 11-11K substituted for ss. 11-16 (25.2.2013 for specified purposes, 29.4.2013 for specified purposes and subsequently on the days on which and for the purposes for which "the amending provisions" are brought into force by secondary legislation) by Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5), ss. 57(2), 150(3); S.I. 2013/358, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 para. 12; S.I. 2013/983, art. 7(1)(d) (with art. 7(3)) (as amended: (1.7.2013) by S.I. 2013/1511, art. 6)Pt. 1 modified (6.4.2016) by The Social Security (Northern Ireland Reciprocal Arrangements) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/287), regs. 1, 2(2)(f), Sch.Pt. 1 applied (with modifications) (27.11.2016 for specified purposes, 6.4.2017 in so far as not already in force) by The Social Security (Northern Ireland Reciprocal Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1050), reg. 2(2)Pt. 1 modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1 of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Ireland) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/622), art. 2; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)Pt. 1 modified (1.1.2021) by The Social Security (Norway) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1597), arts. 1, 2(1)(2), Sch. (with art. 2(3))Pt. 1 modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1 of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Switzerland) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1088), art. 2(1)-(3), Sch.Pt. 1 modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(3) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Iceland) (Liechtenstein) (Norway) Order 2023 (S.I. 2023/1060), art. 2, Sch.