Regulation 2 Interpretation and application

“the 1998 Act” means the Social Security Act 1998 M1;

“benefit week” means any period of seven days corresponding to the week in respect of which the relevant specified benefit is due to be paid;

“claimant” means a claimant of a specified benefit who has a partner to whom these Regulations apply;

F1“couple” means—

1. (a)

   two people who are married to, or civil partners of, each other and are members of the same household; or

2. (b)

   two people who are not married to, or civil partners of, each other but are living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners;

“interview” means a work-focused interview with a partner which is conducted for any or all of the following purposes—

1. (a)

   assessing the partner’s prospects for existing or future employment (whether paid or voluntary);

2. (b)

   assisting or encouraging the partner to enhance his prospects of such employment;

3. (c)

   identifying activities which the partner may undertake to strengthen his existing or future prospects of employment;

4. (d)

   identifying current or future employment or training opportunities suitable to the partner’s needs; and

5. (e)

   identifying educational opportunities connected with the existing or future employment prospects or needs of the partner;

“officer” means a person who is an officer of, or who is providing services to or exercising functions of, the Secretary of State;

“partner” means a person who is a member of the same couple as the claimant, or, in a case where the claimant has more than one partner, a person who is a partner of the claimant by reason of a polygamous marriage, but only where—

1. (a)

   the claimant has been awarded a specified benefit at a higher rate referable to that partner; and

2. (b)

   both the partner and the claimant have attained the age of 18 but have not attained F2pensionable age;

F3“pensionable age”, in the case of a man born before 6th April 1955, means the age when a woman born on the same day as the man would attain pensionable age;

“polygamous marriage” means any marriage during the subsistence of which a party to it is married to more than one person and the ceremony of marriage took place under the law of a country which permits polygamy;

“specified benefit” means a benefit to which section 2AA applies.