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The Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

S.R. 2016/218 · Made 3 May 2016 · Extends to Northern Ireland

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

Social Security

Made 3rd May 2016

Laid before Parliament 10th May 2016

Coming into operation in accordance with regulation 1(1)

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 167D and 171(3) to (5) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 M1, sections 5(1)(j) and (k) and (1A) and 165(4), (5) and (6) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 M2, Articles 2(2) and (4), 4(1)(c), (2A) and (3B)(a), 6(1)(b), (2), and (4), 7(3), 8A(5), 8B(2), 8D(4), 8E(3) and (5), 8F(1), 8H(1)(a), (7) and (8), 8I, 8J(5) and (7), 8K(4), (5) and (9), 14(1) to (4)(a) and (b), and 36(1) and (2) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 M3 and paragraphs 2(3) and 3 of Schedule 5 to, the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 M4.

Those powers are exercisable by the Secretary of State by virtue of Article 4(1)(b) of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 M5.

Annotations to the whole text

Marginal citations

M1

1992 c. 7; section 167D was inserted by Article 8(1) of the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/1898 (N.I. 12)) and section 171(5) was amended by paragraph 36 of Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 to Social Security (Incapacity for Work) (Northern Ireland) Order 1994. For the definition of “prescribed”, see section 167G

M2

1992 c. 8; section 5(1)(k) was amended by Article 103(5) of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/2006 (N.I. 1)), section 5(1A) was inserted by Article 104(3) of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 and section 165(6) was amended by paragraph 86 of Schedule 6 and Schedule 7 to the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 (S.I. 1998/1506 (N.I. 10))

M3

S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15); Article 4(1) was amended by paragraph 4 of Schedule 7 to the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11), Article 4(2A) and (3B) was inserted by section 11(3) and (5) of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 (c. 13 (N.I.)), Article 6(1) was amended by paragraph 2(3) of the Schedule to the Pensions (2004 Act and 2005 Order) (PPF Payments and FAS Payments) (Consequential Provisions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006 (SR 2006 No 37) and Part 1 of Schedule 12 to the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, Article 7(3) was amended by Part 1 of Schedule 12 to the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, Articles 8A to 8K were inserted by Article 55(4) of the 2015 Order and Article 36(2) was amended by paragraph 55 of Schedule 3 to the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/671), for the definitions of “prescribed” and “Regulations” see Article 2(2)

M4

S.I. 2015/2006 (N.I. 1)

M5

Functions under or for the purposes of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 and the Jobseeker's Allowance (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 vested in the Department for Social Development by virtue of Article 8(b) of S.R. 1999 No. 481

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. 17Further circumstances in which requirements must not be imposed
  20. Part 3: SANCTIONS
  21. 18Interpretation
  22. 19General principles for calculating reduction periods
  23. 20Higher-level sanctions
  24. 21Medium-level sanctions
  25. 22Low-level sanction
  26. 23Start of the reduction
  27. 24Reduction period to continue where award of jobseeker's allowance terminates
  28. 25Suspension of a reduction where a fraud sanction applies
  29. 26Termination of a reduction
  30. 27Amount of reduction for each benefit week
  31. 28Daily reduction rate
  32. 29Failures for which no reduction is applied
  33. 30Sanctions where universal credit ends and the person is entitled to a jobseeker's allowance
  34. Part 4: INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE
  35. 31Provision of information and evidence
  36. 32Information given electronically
  37. Part 5: CONDITIONS OF ENTITLEMENT
  38. 33The conditions and relevant earnings
  39. 34Relaxation of the first set of conditions
  40. 35Waiting days
  41. 36Jobseeking period
  42. 37Jobseeking periods: periods of interruption of employment
  43. 38Linking periods
  44. 39Persons approaching retirement and the jobseeking period
  45. 40Persons temporarily absent from Northern Ireland
  46. 41Remunerative work
  47. 42Persons treated as engaged in remunerative work
  48. 43Persons treated as not engaged in remunerative work
  49. 44Relevant education
  50. 45Short periods of sickness
  51. 46Extended periods of sickness
  52. 47Periods of sickness and persons receiving treatment outside Northern Ireland
  53. 48Prescribed amount of earnings
  54. Part 6: AMOUNTS OF JOBSEEKER'S ALLOWANCE
  55. 49Weekly amounts of jobseeker's allowance
  56. 50Deductions in respect of earnings
  57. 51Payment by way of pensions
  58. 52Minimum amount of a jobseeker's allowance
  59. Part 7: EARNINGS
  60. 53Rounding of fractions
  61. 54Calculation of earnings derived from employed earner's employment
  62. 55Calculation of earnings of self-employed earners
  63. 56Date on which earnings are treated as paid
  64. 57Calculation of weekly amount of earnings
  65. 58Earnings of employed earners
  66. 59Calculation of net earnings of employed earners
  67. 60Earnings of self-employed earners
  68. 61Calculation of net profit of self-employed earners
  69. 62Deduction of tax and contributions for self-employed earners
  70. 63Notional earnings
  71. Part 8: PART WEEKS
  72. 64Amount of a jobseeker's allowance payable
  73. 65Relevant week
  74. 66Modification in the calculation of income
  75. Part 9: SHARE FISHERMEN
  76. 67Interpretation
  77. 68Special provisions in respect of share fishermen
  78. 69Modifications of Article 4 of the Order
  79. 70Modification of Article 2(2) of the Order
  80. 71Additional conditions for payment of a jobseeker's allowance
  81. 72Remunerative work
  82. 73Calculation of earnings
  83. 74Amount payable
  84. Part 10: MODIFICATION OF THE ORDER
  85. 75Modification of contribution conditions for volunteer development workers
  86. Signature
  87. Schedule: Sums to be disregarded in the calculation of earnings
  88. 1Paragraph 1
  89. 2Paragraph 2
  90. 3Paragraph 3
  91. 4Paragraph 4
  92. 5Paragraph 5
  93. 6Paragraph 6
  94. 7Paragraph 7
  95. 8Paragraph 8
  96. 9Paragraph 9
  97. 10Paragraph 10
  98. 11Paragraph 11
  99. 12Paragraph 12
  100. 13Paragraph 13
  101. Explanatory note