Regulation 2 Referral to an employment zone programme

This regulation applies to a claimant—

An employment officer may direct a claimant who is aged 25 years or over and F3to whom this regulation applies to participate in an employment zone programme if in the period immediately preceding the date on which the direction is made, the claimant—

An employment officer may direct a claimant who is aged 18 years or over but less than 25 years F6and to whom this regulation applies to participate in an employment zone programme if, in the period immediately preceding the date on which the direction is made, the claimant—

The employment officer shall notify the claimant in writing that he is required to participate in the employment zone programme.

A claimant to whom paragraph (1A)(c) or (2)(c) applies shall be treated as having completed so much of an employment zone programme for the purposes of regulations 4 and 5 as is equal to the period of his previous participation in the employment zone programme.

Where there is more than one employment zone contractor providing an employment zone programme in the claimant’s zone, the claimant may (subject to paragraphs (6) and (7)) select the contractor with whom he will participate in the programme.

If the claimant has previously begun but not completed an employment zone programme provided by a particular contractor operating in the claimant’s zone, an employment officer may direct the claimant to participate in the programme with that contractor.

If the claimant fails to choose a contractor when requested to do so by an employment officer, the officer may direct him to participate in the programme with a particular contractor.

In this regulation—

• “the claimant’s zone” means the employment zone in which the claimant is ordinarily resident or in which his address for payment of his jobseeker’s allowance is located;

• “employment zone contractor” means a person who is providing an employment zone programme on behalf of the Secretary of State.