Part 2

Working-age benefits
CHAPTER 2

Employment and support allowance

Claimant responsibilities for interim period

Hardship payments
56
In the Welfare Reform Act 2007 after section 16 there is inserted—

Hardship payments
16A
1
Regulations may make provision for the making of payments (“hardship payments”) by way of an employment and support allowance to a person where—
a
the amount otherwise payable to the person in respect of an employment and support allowance is reduced by virtue of regulations under section 11(3), 12(3) or 13(3), and
b
the person is or will be in hardship.
2
Regulations under this section may in particular make provision as to—
a
circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being in hardship;
b
matters to be taken into account in determining whether a person is or will be in hardship;
c
requirements or conditions to be met by a person in order to receive hardship payments;
d
the amount or rate of hardship payments;
e
the period for which hardship payments may be made.