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The Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 2013

S.I. 2013/378 · Made 25 February 2013 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 6 April 2026.

Social Security

Made 25th February 2013

Coming into force 29th April 2013

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 2(1)(c), (2A) and (3B)(a), 4(1)(b), (2) and (4), 5(3), 6A(5), 6B(2), 6D(4), 6E(3) and (5), 6F(1), 6H(1)(a), (5) and (6), 6I, 6J(2)(a), (5) and (7), 6K(4), (5) and (9), 12(1) to (4)(a) and (b), 35(1) and (3) and 36(2) to (4) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Jobseekers Act 1995 M1, sections 5(1)(i) and (j) and (1A), 189(4), (5) and (6) and 191 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 M2, sections 171D, 171G(2) and 175(3) to (5) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 M3 and paragraphs 2(3) and 3 of Schedule 5 to the Welfare Reform Act 2012 M4.

The Social Security Advisory Committee has agreed that the proposals in respect of these Regulations should not be referred to it M5.

A draft of these Regulations has been laid before Parliament in accordance with section 37(2) of the Jobseekers Act 1995 and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.C1

Annotations to the whole text

Marginal citations

M1

1995 c.18. Section 2(1) was amended by paragraph 3 of Schedule 7 to the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c.30), paragraph 6 of Schedule 2 and Schedule 7 to the Welfare Reform Act 2009 (c.24) and Schedule 14 to the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c.5). Section 2(2A) and (3B) was inserted by section 12 of the Welfare Reform Act 2009. Section 4(1) was amended by paragraph 5 of Schedule 5 and Schedule 14 to the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and S.I. 2006/343. Section 5(3) was amended by Schedule 14 to the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Sections 6A to 6K were inserted by section 49(3) of the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Those definitions were amended by paragraph 62 of Schedule 3 to the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc) Act 1999 (c.2). Section 36(4) was amended by paragraph 63 of Schedule 3 to the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc) Act 1999.

M2

1992 c.5. Section 5(1)(j) was amended by section 98 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Section 5(1A) was inserted by section 99 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Section 189(4), (5) and (6) was amended by paragraph 109 of Schedule 7 to the Social Security Act 1998 (c.14). Section 191 is cited for the meaning it gives to “prescribed” and was amended by paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to the Welfare Reform Act 2007 (c.5).

M3

1992 c.4. Sections 171D and 171G were inserted by section 6 of the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994 (c.18). Section 171G(2) is cited for the meaning it gives to “prescribed”. Section 175(4) was amended by paragraph 29 of Schedule 3 to the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc) Act 1999 and paragraph 36 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994.

M4

2012 c.5.

M5

See sections 172(1) and 173(1)(b) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

Modifications

C1

Regulations modified (24.4.2013) by The Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 9 and Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Commencement No. 8 and Savings and Transitional Provisions (Amendment)) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/983), (art. 12) (with application in accordance with art. 12(1)) (as amended: (20.6.2013) by S.I. 2013/1511; (24.11.2014) by S.I. 2014/3067).

Contents

  1. Part 1: General
  2. 1Citation, commencement and application
  3. 2General interpretation
  4. 3Further interpretation
  5. Part 2: Claimant responsibilities
  6. 4Interpretation
  7. 5Application of regulations where there is dual entitlement
  8. 6Sanction ceases to apply to jobseeker's allowance
  9. 7Claimant commitment – date and method of acceptance
  10. 8Claimant commitment – exceptions
  11. 9Expected hours
  12. 10Purposes of a work-focused interview
  13. 11Work search requirement: interviews
  14. 12Work search requirement: all reasonable action
  15. 13Work availability requirement: able and willing immediately to take up paid work
  16. 14Work search requirement and work availability requirement: limitations
  17. 15Victims of domestic violence
  18. 16Circumstances in which requirements must not be imposed
  19. 16AFurther circumstances in which requirements must not be imposed
  20. Part 3: Sanctions
  21. 17Interpretation
  22. 18General principles for calculating reduction periods
  23. 19Higher-level sanction
  24. 20Medium-level sanctions
  25. 21Low-level sanctions
  26. 22Start of the reduction
  27. 23Reduction period to continue where award of jobseeker's allowance terminates
  28. 24Suspension of a reduction where a fraud sanction applies
  29. 25Termination of a reduction
  30. 26Amount of reduction for each benefit week
  31. 27Daily reduction rate
  32. 28Failures for which no reduction is applied
  33. 29Sanctionable failures under section 6J of the Act: work placements
  34. 30Sanctions where universal credit ends and the person is entitled to a jobseeker's allowance
  35. Part 4: Information and evidence
  36. 31Provision of information and evidence
  37. 32Alternative means of notifying changes of circumstances
  38. 33Information given electronically
  39. Part 5: Conditions of entitlement
  40. 34The conditions and relevant earnings
  41. 35Relaxation of the first set of conditions
  42. 36Waiting Days
  43. 37Jobseeking Period
  44. 38Jobseeking periods: periods of interruption of employment
  45. 39Linking Periods
  46. 40Persons approaching retirement and the jobseeking period
  47. 41Persons temporarily absent from Great Britain
  48. 42Remunerative work
  49. 43Persons treated as engaged in remunerative work
  50. 44Persons treated as not engaged in remunerative work
  51. 45Relevant education
  52. 46Short periods of sickness
  53. 46AExtended period of sickness
  54. 47Periods of sickness and persons receiving treatment outside Great Britain
  55. 48Prescribed amount of earnings
  56. Part 6: Amounts of a jobseeker's allowance
  57. 49Weekly amounts of jobseeker's allowance
  58. 50Deductions in respect of earnings
  59. 51Payments by way of pensions
  60. 52Minimum amount of a jobseeker's allowance
  61. Part 7: Earnings
  62. 53Rounding of fractions
  63. 54Calculation of earnings derived from employed earner's employment
  64. 55Calculation of earnings of self-employed earners
  65. 56Date on which earnings are treated as paid
  66. 57Calculation of weekly amount of earnings
  67. 58Earnings of employed earners
  68. 59Calculation of net earnings of employed earners
  69. 60Earnings of self-employed earners
  70. 61Calculation of net profit of self-employed earners
  71. 62Deduction of tax and contributions for self-employed earners
  72. 63Notional earnings
  73. Part 8: Part weeks
  74. 64Amount of a jobseeker's allowance payable
  75. 65Relevant week
  76. 66Modification in the calculation of income
  77. Part 9: Share fishermen
  78. 67Interpretation
  79. 68Special provisions in respect of share fishermen
  80. 69Modifications of section 2
  81. 70Modification of section 35
  82. 71Additional conditions for payment of a jobseeker's allowance
  83. 72Remunerative work
  84. 73Calculation of earnings
  85. 74Amount payable
  86. Part 10: Modification of the Act
  87. 75Modification of section 2 of the Act
  88. Signature
  89. Schedule: Sums to be disregarded in the calculation of earnings
  90. 1Paragraph 1
  91. 2Paragraph 2
  92. 3Paragraph 3
  93. 4Paragraph 4
  94. 5Paragraph 5
  95. 6Paragraph 6
  96. 7Paragraph 7
  97. 8Paragraph 8
  98. 9Paragraph 9
  99. 10Paragraph 10
  100. 11Paragraph 11
  101. 12Paragraph 12
  102. 13Paragraph 13
  103. Explanatory note