The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Statutory Instruments

2012 No. 1135

Social Security

The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Made

23rd April 2012

Laid before Parliament

25th April 2012

Coming into force

16th May 2012

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 19(8)(b), 35(1) and 36(2) of the Jobseekers Act 1995(1).

In accordance with section 173(1)(b) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992(2), the Secretary of State has obtained the agreement of the Social Security Advisory Committee that proposals in respect of these Regulations should not be referred to it.

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 2012 and come into force on 16th May 2012.

Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996

2.—(1) The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996(3) are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 72(6)(b) (good cause for the purposes of section 19(5)(a) and (6)(c) and (d))(4) omit—

“,—

(i) during the first 13 weeks of entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance, one hour either way; and

(ii) in all other cases,”.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

C. Grayling

Minister for Employment

Department for Work and Pensions

23rd April 2012

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (‘the JSA Regulations’).

Regulation 2(2) amends regulation 72 of the JSA Regulations so that, irrespective of their period of entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance, a claimant will not generally be able to show good cause for failing to carry out a jobseeker’s direction or to apply for or accept certain types of employment if the reason for the failure relates to the time it would take, or normally take, for them to travel for those purposes by a route and means appropriate to their circumstances and to the employment, or to the carrying out of the jobseeker’s direction, where that time is less than one hour and thirty minutes.

A full impact assessment has not been published for this instrument as it has no impact on the private sector or civil society organisations.

(1)

1995. c.18. Section 35(1) is an interpretation provision and is cited because of the meaning given to “prescribed” and “regulations”. Sections 35(1) and 36 have been amended but not in ways material to these Regulations.

(2)

1992. c..5.

(3)

S.I. 1996/207.

(4)

Section 72(6) has been amended by S.I. 2000/1978, regulation 2(1) and (5) and Schedule 2, paragraph 27(b), S.I. 2004/1008, regulation 2(1) and (3) and S.I. 2008/3051, regulation 11(1) and (12)(d).