{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/employment-and-support-allowance-regulations-northern-ireland-2008/regulation-158",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/employment-and-support-allowance-regulations-northern-ireland-2008/regulation-158.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/2008/280",
  "legislation_title": "The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/employment-and-support-allowance-regulations-northern-ireland-2008",
  "path": "regulation/158",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "158",
  "heading": "Meaning of “person in hardship”",
  "text": "(1) A claimant is a person in hardship if the claimant—\n(a) has informed the Department of the circumstances on which the claimant relies to establish that fact; and\n(b) falls within paragraph (2), (3) or (5).\n(2) A claimant falls within this paragraph if—\n(a) she is pregnant;\n(b) a member of the claimant’s family is pregnant;\n(c) the claimant is a single claimant aged less than 18; or\n(d) the claimant is a member of a couple and both members are aged less than 18.\n(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the claimant falls within this paragraph if the claimant or the claimant’s partner—\n(a) is responsible for a child or young person who is a member of the claimant’s household;\n(b) has been awarded armed forces independence payment, an attendance allowance , pension age disability payment , the care component, the daily living component or the daily living component of adult disability payment ;\n(c) has claimed armed forces independence payment, attendance allowance , pension age disability payment , disability living allowance , Scottish adult disability living allowance , child disability payment , personal independence payment or adult disability payment and the claim has not been determined;\n(d) devotes a considerable portion of each week to caring for another person who—\n(i) has been awarded armed forces independence payment, an attendance allowance , pension age disability payment , the care component, the daily living component or the daily living component of adult disability payment , or\n(ii) has claimed armed forces independence payment, attendance allowance , pension age disability payment , disability living allowance , Scottish adult disability living allowance or personal independence payment or adult disability payment , child disability payment and the claim has not been determined; or\n(e) has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit.\n(4) A claimant to whom paragraph (3)(c) or (d)(ii) applies is a person in hardship only for 26 weeks from the date of the claim unless the claimant is a person in hardship under another provision of this regulation.\n(5) The claimant falls within this paragraph where the Department is satisfied, having regard to all the circumstances and, in particular, the matters set out in paragraph (6), that unless an employment and support allowance is paid, the claimant, or a member of the claimant’s family, will suffer hardship.\n(6) The matters referred to in paragraph (5) are—\n(a) the resources which are likely to be available to the claimant and the claimant’s family and the length of time for which they might be available; and\n(b) whether there is a substantial risk that essential items, including food, clothing and heating, will cease to be available to the claimant or a member of the claimant’s family, or will be available at considerably reduced levels and the length of time for which this might be so.\n(7) In this regulation, “care component” means—\n(a) the care component of disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate prescribed under section 72(3) of the Contributions and Benefits Act, ...\n(b) the care component of child disability payment at the highest or middle rate provided for in regulation 11(5) of the DACYP Regulations; or\n(c) the care component of Scottish adult disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate provided for in regulation 6(4) of the Disability Assistance (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 2025.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(b) inserted (24.12.2013) by The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (Consequential Provisions: Subordinate Legislation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/3021), arts. 1, 28(4)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(b) substituted (20.6.2016) by The Personal Independence Payment (Supplementary Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/228), regs. 1, 34(4)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(b) inserted (21.10.2024) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/919), arts. 1(1), 29(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Reg. 158(3)(b): comma substituted for word (21.3.2022) by The Social Security (Disability Assistance for Working Age People) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/177), arts. 1(2), 26(4)(a)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(b) inserted (21.3.2022) by The Social Security (Disability Assistance for Working Age People) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/177), arts. 1(2), 26(4)(a)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(c) substituted (24.12.2013) by The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (Consequential Provisions: Subordinate Legislation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/3021), arts. 1, 28(4)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(c) substituted (20.6.2016) by The Personal Independence Payment (Supplementary Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/228), regs. 1, 34(4)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(c) inserted (21.10.2024) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/919), arts. 1(1), 29(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(c) inserted (26.7.2021) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance for Children and Young People) (Consequential Modifications) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/786), art. 1(2), Sch. 10 para. 4(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(c) inserted (21.3.2025) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/227), arts. 1(1), 29(4)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Reg. 158(3)(c): comma substituted for word (21.3.2022) by The Social Security (Disability Assistance for Working Age People) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/177), arts. 1(2), 26(4)(b)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(c) inserted (21.3.2022) by The Social Security (Disability Assistance for Working Age People) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/177), arts. 1(2), 26(4)(b)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(i) inserted (24.12.2013) by The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (Consequential Provisions: Subordinate Legislation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/3021), arts. 1, 28(4)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(i) substituted (20.6.2016) by The Personal Independence Payment (Supplementary Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/228), regs. 1, 34(4)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(i) inserted (21.10.2024) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/919), arts. 1(1), 29(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "Reg. 158(3)(d)(i): comma substituted for word (21.3.2022) by The Social Security (Disability Assistance for Working Age People) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/177), arts. 1(2), 26(4)(c)(i)(aa)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(i) inserted (21.3.2022) by The Social Security (Disability Assistance for Working Age People) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/177), arts. 1(2), 26(4)(c)(i)(bb)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F18",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(ii) substituted (24.12.2013) by The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (Consequential Provisions: Subordinate Legislation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/3021), arts. 1, 28(4)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F19",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(ii) substituted (20.6.2016) by The Personal Independence Payment (Supplementary Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/228), regs. 1, 34(4)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F20",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(ii) inserted (21.10.2024) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/919), arts. 1(1), 29(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F21",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(ii) inserted (21.3.2025) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/227), arts. 1(1), 29(4)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F22",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(ii) inserted (21.3.2022) by The Social Security (Disability Assistance for Working Age People) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/177), arts. 1(2), 26(4)(c)(ii)(bb)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F23",
      "text": "Words in reg. 158(3)(d)(ii) inserted (26.7.2021) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance for Children and Young People) (Consequential Modifications) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/786), art. 1(2), Sch. 10 para. 4(2)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F24",
      "text": "Reg. 158(3)(e) substituted (6.4.2010) by The Social Security (Equalisation of State Pension Age) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 (S.R. 2010/103), regs. 1(1), 11(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F25",
      "text": "Reg. 158(7) substituted (26.7.2021) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance for Children and Young People) (Consequential Modifications) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/786), art. 1(2), Sch. 10 para. 4(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F26",
      "text": "Word in reg. 158(7) omitted (21.3.2025) by virtue of The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/227), arts. 1(1), 29(4)(b)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F27",
      "text": "Reg. 158(7)(c) and word inserted (21.3.2025) by The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/227), arts. 1(1), 29(4)(b)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 158 in operation at 27.10.2008, see reg. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2008/280/regulation/158",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-12T03:38:16.781320+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}