Explanatory note

The Social Security (Work-focused Interviews for Partners) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (“the Principal Regulations”) impose a requirement on the partners of claimants of certain benefits to take part in a work-focused interview (“an interview”) where the claimant has been continuously entitled to the benefit for at least 26 weeks and it has been awarded at a higher rate referable to his partner.

These Regulations amend the Principal Regulations to impose additional requirements on the partner of a claimant of a jobseeker’s allowance (other than a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance) to take part in interviews every 6 months where the claimant or his partner is responsible for a child or qualifying young person who lives in his household.

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provisions contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.