The Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2001

Interpretation E+W+S

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

• “the 1998 Act” means the Social Security Act 1998 M1 ;

• “the Contributions and Benefits Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 M2 ;

• “benefit week” means any period of seven days corresponding to the week in respect of which the relevant specified benefit is due to be paid;

• “bereavement benefit” means any benefit, other than a bereavement payment, falling within section 20(1)(ea) of the Contributions and Benefits Act M3 ;

• ““the Careers Service” means—

  (a)

  In England and Wales, a person with whom the Secretary of State or, as the case may be, the National Assembly for Wales, have made arrangements under section 10(1) of the Employment and Training Act 1973 M4 or a local education authority to whom a direction has been given by the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales under section 10(2) of that Act;

  (b)

  in Scotland, a person with whom the Scottish Ministers have made arrangements under section 10(1) of the Employment and Training Act 1973 or any education authority to whom a direction has been given by the Scottish Ministers under section 10(2) of that Act;

• “the Connexions Service” means a person of any description with whom the Secretary of State has made an arrangement under section 114(2)(a) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 M5 and section 10(1) of the Employment and Training Act 1973 and any person to whom he has given a direction under section 114(2)(b) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 and section 10(2) of the Employment and Training Act 1973;

• “interview” means a work-focused interview with a relevant person who has claimed a specified benefit at an office designated by the Secretary of State as a Jobcentre Plus office M6 and which is conducted for any or all of the following purposes—

  (a)

  assessing that person’s prospects for existing or future employment (whether paid or voluntary);

  (b)

  assisting or encouraging that person to enhance his prospects of such employment;

  (c)

  identifying activities which that person may undertake to strengthen his existing or future prospects of employment;

  (d)

  identifying current or future employment or training opportunities suitable to that person’s needs; and

  (e)

  identifying educational opportunities connected with the existing or future employment prospects or needs of that person;

• “officer” means an officer of, or providing services to, the Secretary of State;

• “specified benefit” means income support, incapacity benefit, invalid care allowance, severe disablement allowance and any bereavement benefit.

(2) In these Regulations, a “relevant person” means a person who resides in an area identified in Schedule 1.

(3) For the purposes of these Regulations—

(a) a person shall be deemed to be in remunerative work where he is in remunerative work within the meaning prescribed in regulation 4 of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 M7 ; and

(b) a person shall be treated as engaged in part-time work where he is engaged in work for which payment is made but he is not engaged or treated as engaged in remunerative work.

(4) These Regulations apply in respect of a specified benefit claimed on or after 22nd October 2001 by a relevant person who, on that date, resides in an area specified in Schedule 1.

(5) Where a claim for benefit is made by a person (“the appointee”) on behalf of another, references in these Regulations to a person claiming benefit shall be treated as a reference to the person on whose behalf the claim is made and not to the appointee.

(6) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, a reference—

(a) to a numbered regulation is to a regulation in these Regulations bearing that number;

(b) in a regulation to a numbered paragraph or sub-paragraph is to the paragraph or sub-paragraph in that regulation bearing that number;

(c) to a numbered Schedule is to the Schedule to these Regulations bearing that number.

Marginal Citations

M1 1998 c. 14.

M2 1992 c. 4.

M3 Section 20(1)(ea) was inserted by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999, section 70.

M4 1973 c. 50; section 10 was inserted by section 45 of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993 (c. 19). The Secretary of State functions under that Act in relation to Wales were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by S.I. 1999/672.

M5 2000 c. 21.

M6 Offices designated as Jobcentre Plus offices are identified in two lists entitled “Jobcentre Plus Pathfinder Offices” and “Jobcentre Plus Work-focused Interview Extension Sites” available from the Department for Work and Pensions, W2W1, 4S25, Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UB.

M7 S.I. 1987/1971.