Regulation 2 Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996^f1 shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (6).

In regulation 14(1)^f2 (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as available) after sub-paragraph (j)^f3 there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph—

“(ja)

notwithstanding regulation 15(a), if he is participating in a programme provided by the Venture Trust in pursuance of an arrangement made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department with the Trust, for a maximum of 4 weeks and one such programme in any period of 12 months;”.

In regulation 19(1) (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employment) after sub-paragraph (j)^f4 there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph—

“(ja)

in any week during which he is participating for not less than 3 days in a programme provided by the Venture Trust in pursuance of an arrangement made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department with the Trust, for a maximum of 4 weeks and one such programme in any period of 12 months;”.

In regulation 30(c) (circumstances in which a claimant is to be regarded as having good cause for failing to comply with a notice under regulation 23) for “(k)” there shall be substituted “(ja)”.

In regulation 47(3)(b) (jobseeking period) the words from “or, where good cause” to the end of the sub-paragraph shall be omitted.

In Schedule 2 (housing costs) in paragraph 13(6)(b) for “regulation 9” there shall be substituted “regulation 8A or 8B”^f5.