# The Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999, Regulation 4: Additional functions of local authorities

Extent: E+W+S

(1) A local authority to whom Part I of Schedule I to these Regulations applies may conduct a work-focused interview with, or provide assistance to, a person to whom paragraphs (2) and (3) apply, where the interview or assistance is requested or consented to by that person.
(2) This paragraph applies to a person who resides in a postcode district identified in Part I of Schedule 2 to these Regulations.
(3) This paragraph applies to any person making a claim for, or entitled to, any benefit specified in paragraph (4) and applies whether or not a person has had an interview in accordance with regulations made under section 2A of the Administration Act .
(4) The benefits specified in this paragraph are—
(a) income support;
(b) housing benefit;
(c) council tax benefit;
(d) widow’s benefit;
(e) bereavement benefits;
(ea) bereavement support payment under section 30 of the Pensions Act 2014;
(f) incapacity benefit;
(g) severe disablement allowance;
(h) carer’s allowance;
(i) a jobseeker’s allowance;
(j) disability living allowance.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the request or consent may be made or given to —
(a) the local authority conducting the interview or giving the assistance;
(b) any person who, or authority which, may be specified as a designated authority for the purposes of section 2A(8) of the Administration Act; or
(c) a person designated an employment officer for the purposes of section 9 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 .
(6) For the purposes of carrying out functions under paragraph (1), a local authority may in particular—
(a) obtain and receive information or evidence for the purpose of any work-focused interview to be conducted with that person;
(b) arrange for the work-focused interview to be conducted by one of the following —
(i) the Secretary of State;
(ii) a person providing services to the Secretary of State; or
(iii) a person providing services to, or authorised to exercise any function of, the local authority;
(c) forward information supplied for the purpose of a work-focused interview to any person or authority conducting that interview;
(d) take steps to identify potential employment or training opportunities for persons taking part in work-focused interviews;
(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(f) take steps to identify—
(i) obstacles which may hinder a person in taking up employment or training opportunities;
(ii) educational opportunities which may assist in reducing or removing such obstacles; and
(g) record information supplied at a work-focused interview.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3108/regulation/4 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-claims-and-information-regulations-1999/regulation-4
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.