Regulation 50 InterpretationI1

For the purposes of this Part—

• F1“current sanctionable failure” means a failure of the following kinds in relation to which the Department has not yet determined whether the amount of an award of benefit is to be reduced—

  1. (a)

     a sanctionable failure;

  2. (b)

     a JSA sanctionable failure; or

  3. (c)

     a UC sanctionable failure;

• “JSA sanctionable failure” means a failure by a claimant which is sanctionable under Article 8K of the Jobseekers Order^f1;

• “low-level sanction” means a reduction of an employment and support allowance in accordance with section 11J of the Act for a sanctionable failure by the claimant to comply with—

  1. (a)

     a work-focused interview requirement imposed under section 11F(2) of the Act (persons subject to work preparation and work-focused interview requirement);

  2. (b)

     a work preparation requirement imposed under section 11F(2) of the Act; or

  3. (c)

     a requirement under section 11G of the Act (connected requirements);

• “lowest-level sanction” means a reduction of an employment and support allowance in accordance with section 11J of the Act for a sanctionable failure by the claimant to comply with a requirement imposed under section 11E(2) of the Act (persons subject to work-focused interview requirement only);

• “reduction period” means the number of days for which a reduction in the amount of an award of an employment and support allowance is to have effect;

• F2“relevant failure” means—

  1. (a)

     a sanctionable failure giving rise to a low-level sanction;

  2. (b)

     a UC sanctionable failure giving rise to a sanction under Article 32 of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 to which regulation 101 of the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 applies; or

  3. (c)

     a JSA sanctionable failure giving rise to a sanction under Article 8K of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 to which regulation 22 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 applies;

• “sanctionable failure” means a failure which is sanctionable under section 11J of the Act;

• “total outstanding reduction period” means the total number of days for which no reduction has yet been applied for all of the claimant’s low-level sanctions, lowest level sanctions and reductions to which regulation 61 applies;

• “UC sanctionable failure” means a failure by a claimant which is sanctionable under Article 31 or 32 of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015.