Part 2

Working-age benefits
CHAPTER 3

Income support

Claimant commitment for income support
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1
The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 is amended as follows.
2
Section 124 (income support) is amended as follows—
a
in subsection (1), after paragraph (e) there is inserted—
ea
he has accepted a claimant commitment;
;
b
after subsection (1B) there is inserted—
1C
Regulations may prescribe circumstances in which a person may be entitled to income support without having accepted a claimant commitment.
3
After section 124 there is inserted—

Claimant commitment
124A
1
For the purposes of this Part a “claimant commitment” is a record of the claimant's responsibilities in relation to an award of income support.
2
A claimant commitment is to be prepared by the Secretary of State and may be reviewed and updated as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
3
A claimant commitment is to be in such form as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
4
A claimant commitment is to include—
a
any prescribed information, and
b
any other information the Secretary of State considers it appropriate to include.
5
For the purposes of section 124 and this section a claimant accepts a claimant commitment if, and only if, the claimant accepts the most up-to-date version of it in such manner as may be prescribed.
6
Regulations may provide that in prescribed circumstances, a claimant is to be treated as having satisfied the condition mentioned in section 124(1)(ea).
4
In section 2F of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (directions about work-related activity), in subsection (3)(b), for the words from “by” to “2E” there is substituted “ in such manner as the Secretary of State thinks fit ”.
5
In section 2G of that Act (contracting out), in subsection (1), at the end there is inserted—
d
any function under section 124A of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 in relation to a claimant commitment.