{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/jobseekers-allowance-regulations-northern-ireland-1996/regulation-55",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/jobseekers-allowance-regulations-northern-ireland-1996/regulation-55.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/1996/198",
  "legislation_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/jobseekers-allowance-regulations-northern-ireland-1996",
  "path": "regulation/55",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "55",
  "heading": "Short periods of sickness",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (4), a person who—\n(a) satisfies the requirements for entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance or satisfies those requirements other than those specified in Article 3(2)(a) or (c) of the Order or is a person to whom any of the circumstances mentioned in Article 21(5) or (6) of the Order apply;\n(b) proves to the satisfaction of the adjudication officer that he is unable to work on account of some specific disease or disablement, and\n(c) but for his disease or disablement, satisfies the requirements for entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance other than those specified in Article 3(2)(a), (c) and (f) of the Order (available for and actively seeking employment, and capable of work),\nshall be treated for a period of not more than 2 weeks as capable of work, except where the claimant states in writing that for the period of his disease or disablement he proposes to claim or has claimed incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or income support.\n(2) The evidence which is required for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) is a declaration made by the claimant in writing, in a form approved for the purposes by the Department, that he has been unfit for work from and including a date or for a period specified in the declaration.\n(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply to a claimant on more than 2 occasions in any one jobseeking period or where a jobseeking period exceeds 12 months, in each successive 12 months within that period and for the purposes of calculating any period of 12 months, the first 12 months in the jobseeking period commences on the first day of the jobseeking period.\n(4) Paragraphs (1) to (3) shall not apply to any person where the first day in respect of which he is unable to work falls within 8 weeks of—\n(a) an entitlement of his to incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or statutory sick pay, or\n(b) an entitlement to income support where the person claiming a jobseeker’s allowance satisfied the requirements for a disability premium by virtue of paragraph 12(1)(b) of Schedule 2 to the Income Support Regulations.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": "prospective",
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 55 in operation at 7.10.1996, see reg. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "coming into force",
      "affecting": "nisr/1996/198",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2000/350",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Joint Claims) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000"
    },
    {
      "type": "modified (temp.)",
      "affecting": "nisr/2020/53",
      "affecting_title": "The Social Security (Coronavirus) (Further Measures) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2010/347",
      "affecting_title": "The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions and Housing Benefit) (Existing Awards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010"
    },
    {
      "type": "added",
      "affecting": "nisr/2003/329",
      "affecting_title": "The Social Security (Students and Income-Related Benefits Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003"
    },
    {
      "type": "added",
      "affecting": "nisr/2004/308",
      "affecting_title": "The Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2008/286",
      "affecting_title": "The Employment and Support Allowance (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2008/286",
      "affecting_title": "The Employment and Support Allowance (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2008/286",
      "affecting_title": "The Employment and Support Allowance (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2008/286",
      "affecting_title": "The Employment and Support Allowance (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008"
    },
    {
      "type": "words omitted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2011/135",
      "affecting_title": "The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011"
    },
    {
      "type": "words added",
      "affecting": "nisr/2012/44",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Sanctions for Failure to Attend) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012"
    },
    {
      "type": "words added",
      "affecting": "nisr/2014/150",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker's Allowance (Schemes for Assisting Persons to Obtain Employment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014"
    },
    {
      "type": "word substituted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2015/138",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2015/138",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2015/138",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2015/138",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2015/138",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015"
    },
    {
      "type": "added",
      "affecting": "nisr/2015/138",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015"
    },
    {
      "type": "words omitted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2016/241",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016"
    },
    {
      "type": "added",
      "affecting": "nisr/2016/233",
      "affecting_title": "The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Extended Period of Sickness) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2017/116",
      "affecting_title": "The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1996/198/regulation/55",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T02:36:06.555307+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."
}