Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 3108

The Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999

(The document as of February, 2008)

-- Back --

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS

1999 No. 3108

SOCIAL SECURITY

The Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999

	Made	18th November 1999
	Laid before Parliament	22nd November 1999
	Coming into force	29th November 1999

The Secretary of State for Social Security, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 2C, 7A, 189(1), (4) and (5) and 191 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992[1] and sections 72 and 83(1) and (4) to (8) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999[2] and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, after consultation in respect of provisions in these Regulations relating to housing benefit and council tax benefit with organisations appearing to him to be representative of the authorities concerned[3], by this instrument, which contains only regulations made by virtue of or consequential upon sections 58, 71 and 72 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 and which is made before the end of a period of 6 months beginning with the coming into force of those provisions[4], hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement
    1.These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999 and shall come into force on 29th November 1999.

Interpretation
    2.In these Regulations, - 

"the Act" means the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999;

"the Child Support Acts" means the Child Support Act 1991[5] and the Child Support Act 1995[6];

"the Council Tax Benefit Regulations" means the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992[7];

"the Housing Benefit Regulations" means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987[8];

"relevant authority" means a person within section 72(2) of the Act.

Work-focused interview
    3.A work-focused interview is an interview conducted for any or all of the following purposes - 

(a) assessing a person's prospects for existing or future employment (whether paid or voluntary);

(b) assisting or encouraging a person to enhance his prospects of such employment;

(c) identifying activities which the person may undertake to strengthen his existing or future prospects of such employment;

(d) identifying current or future employment or training opportunities suitable to the person's needs; and

(e) identifying educational opportunities connected with the existing or future employment prospects or needs of the person.

Additional functions of local authorities
    4. - (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[9].

    (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;

(f) incapacity benefit;

(g) severe disablement allowance;

(h) invalid care 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[10].

    (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) conduct a work-focused interview;

(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.

Further provisions as to claims
    5.The following regulations shall be inserted after regulation 4 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987[11] - 

" Further provisions as to claims
    4A. - (1) Where a claimant resides in both - 


(a) the area of a local authority specified in Part I or II of Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999[12]; and

(b) a postcode district identified in Part I or II of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999,



any claim for a benefit to which paragraph (2) applies may be made to any office displaying the One logo[13] (whether or not that office is situated within the area of the local authority in which the claimant resides).

    (2) The benefits to which this paragraph applies are  - 



(a) a jobseeker's allowance;

(b) income support;

(c) incapacity benefit;

(d) invalid care allowance;

(e) severe disablement allowance;

(f) widow's benefit;

(g) bereavement benefits;

(h) disability living allowance.



    (3) A claim made in accordance with paragraph (1), other than a claim for income support or a jobseeker's allowance, shall be made in writing on a form approved by the Secretary of State for the purpose of the benefit to which the claim is made, or in such other manner, being in writing, as the person to whom the claim is made may accept as sufficient in the circumstances of the particular case.

    (4) In the case of a claim for income support or a jobseeker's allowance, the provisions of regulation 4(1A) to (1C)[14] shall apply.

    (5) In its application to the area of any authority specified in Part I or II of Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999, the "appropriate office" in these Regulations includes also an office of an authority or person to whom claims may be made in accordance with paragraph (1).

    (6) In these Regulations, a "participating authority" means any local authority or person to whom claims may be made in accordance with paragraph (1).

Forwarding claims and information
    4B. - (1) A participating authority may  - 



(a) record information or evidence relating to any social security matter supplied by or obtained from a person at an office displaying the One logo, whether or not the information or evidence is supplied or obtained in connection with the making of a claim for benefit;

(b) give information or advice with respect to any social security matter to persons who are making, or have made, claims for any benefit to which regulation 4A(2) applies.



    (2) A participating authority shall forward to the Secretary of State  - 



(a) any claim for benefit, other than a claim for housing benefit or council tax benefit, together with any information or evidence supplied to the authority in connection with that claim; and

(b) any information or evidence relating to any other social security matter, except where the information or evidence relates solely to housing benefit or council tax benefit given to the authority by a person making a claim for, or who has claimed, a benefit to which regulation 4A(2) applies.".

War Pensions and Child Support
    6. - (1) Where a person resides in the area of an authority to which Part I or II of Schedule 1 to these Regulations refers, he may make a claim for a war pension, or submit an application under the Child Support Acts to any office displaying the One logo (whether or not that office is situated within the area of the local authority in which the person resides).

    (2) Any change of circumstances arising since a claim or application was made in accordance with paragraph (1) may be reported to the office to which that claim or application was made.

    (3) The areas to which this paragraph refers are those areas which are within both  - 

(a) the area of a local authority identified in Part I or II of Schedule 1 to these Regulations, and

(b) a postcode area identified in Part I or II of Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

    (4) A person making a claim or application to a participating authority in accordance with paragraph (1) shall comply with any requirements for the time being in force in relation to  - 

(a) claims for war pensions or applications under the Child Support Acts;

(b) the provision of information and evidence in support of such claims or applications,

as if those requirements also applied to the participating authority.

    (5) A participating authority shall forward to the Secretary of State  - 

(a) any claim for a war pension or application under the Child Support Acts made in accordance with this regulation;

(b) details of changes of circumstances reported to the authority in accordance with this regulation; and

(c) any information or evidence  - 


(i) given to the authority by the person making a claim or application or reporting the change of circumstances; or

(ii) which is relevant to the claim or application or the change reported and which is held by the authority.

    (6) For the purpose of this regulation, a "participating authority" means any authority or person to whom a claim or application may be made or change of circumstances reported in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2).

Holding information
    7.A relevant authority to whom information or evidence relating to social security matters is supplied or by whom such information or evidence is obtained, including information obtained under regulation 8(2), may  - 

(a) make a record of that information or evidence; and

(b) hold the information or evidence, whether as supplied or as recorded.

Provision of information
    8. - (1) A relevant authority may give information or advice to any person, or to a person acting on his behalf, concerning  - 

(a) a claim he made, or a decision given on a claim he made, for a social security benefit or a war pension;

(b) an application he made, or a decision given on an application he made, under the Child Support Acts.

    (2) For the purpose of giving information or advice in accordance with paragraph (1), a relevant authority may obtain information held by any other relevant authority.

Claims for Housing Benefit
    9.There shall be inserted after regulation 72A of the Housing Benefit Regulations[15] the following regulations  - 

" Claims for housing benefit made to a relevant authority
    72B. - (1) Without prejudice to a person's right to make a claim for housing benefit in accordance with regulation 72(4) but subject to regulation 72C claims for housing benefit may also be made at the offices of a relevant authority displaying the One logo where the claimant resides in a postcode district identified in Part I or II of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999 (a "relevant office").

    (2) For the purposes of this regulation, a "relevant authority" means  - 


(a) an appropriate DSS office;

(b) a person providing services to the Secretary of State for Social Security or the Secretary of State for Education and Employment where the service provided includes the taking of claims for social security benefit;

(c) the appropriate local authority;

(d) a person providing services to the appropriate authority where the service includes matters relating to housing benefit;

(e) a person authorised to exercise any function of an appropriate authority relating to housing benefit.



    (3) A claim made in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be  - 

    (a) in writing on a form approved for the purpose by the relevant authority, or in such other manner, being in writing, as the person to whom the claim is made may accept as sufficient in the circumstances of the particular case; and

    (b) accompanied by or supplemented by such certificates, information or evidence as are required in accordance with regulation 73(1).

    (4) A claim may be sent or delivered to a relevant authority.

    (5) Where a claim is received at  - 



(a) an appropriate DSS office;

(b) the office of a person providing services to the Secretary of State for Social Security or the Secretary of State for Education and Employment; or

(c) a local authority office, other than a designated office, to which claims may be made in accordance with paragraph (1),



the claim, together with any information or evidence held at that office which is relevant to that claim, shall be forwarded to the designated office.

    (6) Where the benefit claimed in accordance with paragraph (1) is housing benefit, the date on which the claim is made shall be  - 



(a) except where sub-paragraph (b) applies, the date the claim is received in a relevant office; or

(b) where in the 4 weeks before the claim is received in the relevant office, the person making the claim or a person acting on his behalf had notified the relevant office of his intention to make such a claim, the date the notification was given.



    (7) A notification of intention to make a claim is deemed to be given on the date on which notification of the intention to claim housing benefit is received, in whatever form, from the claimant, or the person acting on his behalf, at a relevant office.

    (8) Paragraph (7) applies where neither income support nor a jobseeker's allowance is claimed in conjunction with housing benefit.

    (9) Where the person claiming housing benefit in accordance with paragraph (1), or the partner of that person,  - 



(a) has an award of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance; or

(b) has claimed such a benefit but no award has been made,



the date on which the claim for housing benefit is made shall be determined as if sub-paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (e) of paragraph (1) of regulation 72A applied to that claim as they apply to claims under regulation 72(4)(d).

    (10) Paragraphs (6) to (17) of regulation 72 shall apply to a claim made to a relevant authority, but as if for references to  - 



(a) an "appropriate DSS office" there were substituted references to a "relevant authority";

(b) paragraph (1) was to paragraph (3) of this regulation.



Claims made to an office which is both a gateway office and a relevant office
    72C.Where a claim for housing benefit is sent or delivered to an office which is both a gateway office and a relevant office for the purposes of regulation 72B, the claim shall be treated as if it had been sent or delivered to a relevant office only.".

Consequential Amendments to the Housing Benefit Regulations
    10. - (1) The Housing Benefit Regulations shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation (which are all consequential upon regulation 9 above).

    (2) In regulation 2 (interpretation), in paragraph (1) after the entry relating to "relative" there shall be inserted the following entry  - 

" "relevant authority" has the meaning given to it in regulation 72B(2);".

    (3) In regulation 71(who may claim), the following paragraph shall be added at the end - 

    " (7) Where the dwelling in respect of which a claim is made is situated in a postcode area to which Part I or II of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999 refers, references in this regulation to an "appropriate authority" shall be read as including a reference to the "relevant authority".".

    (4) In regulation 72 (time and manner in which claims are to be made) in paragraph (1), at the beginning, there shall be inserted the words "Subject to regulation 72B".

    (5) In regulation 73 (evidence and information) the following paragraph shall be added at the end  - 

    " (7) In its application to regulation 72B, references in this regulation to "appropriate authority" shall be read as including references to the "relevant authority"."

    (6) In regulation 75 (duty to notify change of circumstances)  - 

(a) in paragraph (1) for the words "paragraph (2)", there shall substituted the words "paragraphs (2) and (4)"; and

(b) after paragraph (3), there shall be added the following paragraph  - 

    " (4) Where a person resides in a postcode district identified in Part I or II of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999, he may notify the change of circumstances by giving notice in writing to any office of a relevant authority displaying the One logo.".

    (7) In regulation 99(3) (recoverable overpayments) after the words "as such", there shall be inserted the words ", or a person providing services to either Department".

Claims for Council Tax Benefit
    11.There shall be inserted after regulation 62A of the Council Tax Benefit Regulations[16] the following regulation  - 

" Claims for council tax benefit to a relevant authority
    62B. - (1) Without prejudice to a person's right to make a claim for council tax benefit in accordance with regulation 62(4), claims for council tax benefit may also be made at the office of a relevant authority displaying the One logo where the claimant resides in a postcode district identified in Part I or II of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999 (a "relevant office").

    (2) For the purposes of this regulation, a "relevant authority" means  - 


(a) an appropriate social security office;

(b) a person providing services to the Secretary of State for Social Security or the Secretary of State for Education and Employment where the service provided includes the taking of claims for social security benefit;

(c) the appropriate local authority;

(d) a person providing services to the appropriate authority where the service includes matters relating to council tax benefit;

(e) a person authorised to exercise any function of an appropriate authority relating to council tax benefit.



    (3) A claim made in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be  - 



(a) in writing on a form approved for the purpose by the relevant authority, or in such other manner, being in writing, as the person to whom the claim is made may accept as sufficient in the circumstances of the particular case; and

(b) accompanied by or supplemented by such certificates, information or evidence as are required in accordance with regulation 63(1).



    (4) A claim may be sent or delivered to a relevant authority.

    (5) Where a claim is received at  - 



(a) an appropriate DSS office;

(b) the office of a person providing services to the Secretary of State for Social Security or the Secretary of State for Education and Employment; or

(c) a local authority office, other than a designated office, to which claims may be made in accordance with paragraph (1),



the claim, together with any information or evidence held at that office which is relevant to that claim, shall be forwarded to the designated office.

    (6) Where the benefit claimed in accordance with paragraph (1) is the council tax benefit, the date on which the claim is made shall be  - 



(a) except where sub-paragraph (b) applies, the date on which the claim is received in the relevant office;

(b) where in the 4 weeks before the claim is received in the relevant office, the person making the claim or a person acting on his behalf had notified a relevant office of his intention to make such a claim, the date the notification was given.



    (7) A notification of intention to make a claim is deemed to be given on the date on which notification of the intention to claim council tax benefit is received, in whatever form, from the claimant or a person acting on his behalf at a relevant office.

    (8) Paragraph (7) applies where neither income support nor a jobseeker's allowance is claimed in conjunction with council tax benefit.

    (9) Where the person claiming council tax benefit in accordance with paragraph (1), or the partner of that person  - 



(a) has an award of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance; or

(b) has claimed such a benefit but no award has been made,



the date on which the claim for council tax benefit is made shall be determined as if sub-paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (e) of paragraph (1) of regulation 62A applied to that claim as they apply to claims under regulation 62(4)(d).

    (10) Paragraphs (6) to (16) of regulation 62 shall apply to a claim made to a relevant authority, but as if for references to  - 



(a) an "appropriate social security office" there were substituted references to a "relevant office";

(b) paragraph (1) was to paragraph (3) of this regulation.



Claims made to an office which is both a gateway office and a relevant office
    62C.Where a claim for council tax benefit is sent or delivered to an office which is both a gateway office and a relevant office for the purposes of regulation 62B, the claim shall be treated as if it had been sent or delivered to a relevant office only.".

Consequential Amendments to the Council Tax Benefit Regulations
    12. - (1) The Council Tax Benefit Regulations shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation (which are all consequential upon regulation 11 above).

    (2) In regulation 2 (interpretation), in paragraph (1) after the entry relating to "qualifying person" there shall be inserted the following entry  - 

" "relevant authority" has the meaning given to it in regulation 62B(2)".

    (3) In regulation 61 (who may claim), the following paragraph shall be added at the end  - 

    " (7) In its application to regulation 62B, references in this regulation to "appropriate authority" shall be read as including references to the "relevant authority".".

    (4) In regulation 62 (time and manner in which claims are to be made) in paragraph (1), at the beginning, there shall be inserted the words "Subject to regulation 62B".

    (5) In regulation 62 (evidence and information) the following paragraph shall be added at the end  - 

    " (7) In its application to regulation 62B, references in this regulation to "appropriate authority" shall be read as including references to the "relevant authority".".

    (6) In regulation 65 (duty to notify changes of circumstances)  - 

(a) in paragraph (1) for the words "paragraphs (2) and (4)", there shall be substituted the words "paragraphs (2), (4) and (5)"; and

(b) after paragraph (4), there shall be added the following paragraph  - 

    " (5) Where a person resides in a postcode district identified in Part I or II of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999, he may notify the change of circumstances to any office of a relevant authority displaying the One logo.".

    (7) In regulation 84(3) (recoverable excess benefit) after the words "acting as such" there shall be inserted the words "or a person providing services to either Department".

Information
    13. - (1) A relevant authority which holds social security information may  - 

(a) use that information  - 


(i) in connection with arrangements known as the New Deal and made under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973[17];

(ii) for any purpose to which regulations 3, 4 and 6 of these Regulations, or any regulations inserted by these Regulations, apply; or

(iii) for purposes connected with the employment or training of the persons to whom it relates;



(b) supply the information  - 



(i) to any other relevant authority to enable that authority to carry out a work-focused interview or any function conferred upon it by these Regulations or by regulations inserted by these Regulations;

(ii) in so far as relevant for the purpose for which it is being provided, to any person in respect of whom the person undertaking the work-focused interview is notified has a vacancy or is about to have a vacancy in his employment or at his place of employment;

(iii) to any person (an "employment zone provider") to whom payments are made by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 60(5)(c)(i) of the Act (special schemes for claimants for jobseeker's allowance);

(iv) to any other relevant authority in connection with any scheme operated by, or any arrangements made by, the authority for purposes connected with employment or training;

(v) to any other relevant authority in connection with arrangements made under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 and known as the New Deal.

    (2) An employment zone provider may supply to any other relevant authority information relating to any person participating in a scheme for which he receives a payment under section 60(5)(c)(i) of the Act where the information may be relevant to the person's benefit entitlement.

    (3) Where the work-focused interview is undertaken by a relevant authority other than the authority which obtained the information, then the authority supplying the information shall, for the purposes of that interview, supply any other social security information held by them.

    (4) A relevant authority which holds social security information may supply that information to any other relevant authority for the purposes of research, monitoring or evaluation in so far as it relates to any purpose specified in paragraph (5).

    (5) The purposes specified in this paragraph are  - 

(a) work-focused interviews;

(b) any purpose for which regulations 3, 4 and 6 of these Regulations, or any regulations inserted by these Regulations, applies;

(c) any scheme or arrangements made by the Secretary of State connected with employment or training; and

(d) section 60 of the Act.

Purposes for which information may be used
    14. - (1) The purposes for which information supplied in connection with matters referred to in paragraph (2) may be used are for  - 

(a) the processing of any claim for a social security benefit or a war pension or for an application for a maintenance assessment under the Child Support Act 1991;

(b) the consideration of any application for employment by a person to whom information is supplied in connection with any employment opportunity;

(c) the consideration of the training needs of the person who supplied the information;

(d) any purpose for which a work-focused interview may be conducted[18];

(e) the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of offences relating to social security matters.

    (2) The matters referred to in this paragraph are  - 

(a) work-focused interviews; or

(b) any other provision in or introduced by these Regulations.

Information supplied
    15.Information supplied to a person or authority under these Regulations  - 

(a) may be used for the purposes of amending or supplementing information held by the person or authority to whom it is supplied; and

(b) if it is so used, may be supplied to another person or authority, and used by him or it for any purpose, to whom or for which that other information could be supplied or used.

Partners of claimants on jobseeker's allowance
    16. - (1) The social security information specified in paragraph (2) may be supplied by a relevant authority to the partner of a claimant for a jobseeker's allowance where - 

(a) the allowance has been in payment to the claimant, or would have been in payment to him but for section 19 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 (circumstances in which jobseeker's allowance is not payable) for a period of 6 months or more;

(b) the allowance remains in payment or would be in payment but for that section; and

(c) the partner is being invited to attend the office of the relevant authority for purposes connected with employment or training.

    (2) The information which may be supplied is  - 

(a) that jobseeker's allowance is in payment to the claimant or would be in payment to him but for section 19 of the Jobseekers Act; and

(b) that payment has been made to the claimant or would have been so made but for section 19, for a period of at least 6 months.

    (3) In this regulation, "partner" has the same meaning as in the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996[19] by virtue of section 1(3) of those Regulations.

Partners of claimants
    17. - (1) The social security information specified in paragraph (4) may be supplied by a relevant authority to the partner of a claimant for a qualifying benefit where paragraph (3) is satisfied.

    (2) The qualifying benefits are - 

(a) a jobseeker's allowance;

(b) income support;

(c) incapacity benefit;

(d) severe disablement allowance.

    (3) This paragraph is satisfied where - 

(a) one or more of the qualifying benefits is or has been payable to the claimant;

(b) the benefit which is or has been payable includes an increase in respect of a partner; and

(c) the partner of the person entitled to the benefit payable is aged 50 or over.

    (4) The information which may be supplied is - 

(a) that a qualifying benefit is or has been payable to the claimant;

(b) the period for which the qualifying benefit has been payable.

    (5) In this regulation, partner means one member of a married or unmarried couple of which the claimant is also a member.

Consequentials
    18.Schedule 3 to these Regulations, which contains a number of consequential changes shall have effect.



Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Social Security.


Angela Eagle
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security

18th November 1999

SCHEDULE 1Regulation 4(1)


Local Authorities on which functions are conferred



PART I
Local Authority


ENGLAND:
Aylesbury Vale

Barking and Dagenham

Calderdale

Castle Point

Chelmsford

Chiltern

Epping Forest

Kirklees

Maldon



Mendip

Milton Keynes

North Warwickshire

Nuneaton and Bedworth

Redbridge

Rochford

Rugby

Sedgemoor

South Bucks

Southend-on-Sea

South Somerset

Stratford-on-Avon

Taunton Deane

Waltham Forest

Warwick

West Somerset

Wycombe

WALES:
Monmouthshire

Newport

Torfean

SCOTLAND:
Argyll and Bute

East Renfrewshire

Inverclyde

North Ayreshire

Renfrewshire



PART II
Amber Valley

Ashfield

Babergh

Bassetlaw

Bolsover

East Cambridgeshire

Forest Heath

Halton

Ipswich

Leeds

Mansfield

Mid-Suffolk

North East Derbyshire

Newark and Sherwood

St. Edmunsbury

St. Helens

South Cambridgeshire

Suffolk Coastal

Vale Royal

Warrington

Waveney

Wigan



SCHEDULE 2Regulation 4(2)


Postcode Areas



PART I
B37, B39, B46, B47, B49, B50, B76 to B79 and B93 to B95

BA3 to BA11, BA16, BA20 to BA22, BA24 and BA26 to BA28

CM0 to CM9

CV3, CV4, CV7 to CV12, CV21 to CV23, CV31 to CV35 and CV36 to CV39DT9

E4, E10, E11, E17 and E18

EX15 and EX16

G78

GL50 and GL55

GL56

HD1 and HD5 to HD8

HP1, HP4 to HP23 and HP27

HX1 and HX7

IG1 to IG11

KA28 to KA30

LE10

LE17

LU6 and LU7

MK1 to MK19, MK43 and MK46

NN6, NN11 and NN13

NP1

NP4

NP5

NP6

NP7

NP9, NP16, NP20, NP25, NP26 and NP44

OL14

OX5 to OX7, OX9 and OX15

OX17

PA1 to PA17 and PA20 to PA27

RM6

RM8

RG9

SL0 to SL4 and SL6 to SL9

SS0 to SS7, SS9, SS11 and SS12

SS17

TA1 to TA24

UB9

WD3

WF12 to WF17

WO11



PART II
BD2 to BD4, BD10, BD11, BD16, BD17 and BD20

CB1 and CB5 to CB10

CM11

CO1, CO6 and CO8 to CO11

DE5, DE55 and DE56

DN22

HG3 and HG5

IP2 to IP20, IP22 to IP24 and IP27 to IP33

LS1 to LS15 (except Bramhope), LS16, LS17, LS19, LS21, LS22, LS27 and LS28

NG14 to NG23 and NG25

NR10, NR14, NR15 and NR31 to NR35

S44, S45 and S80

WA1 to WA8 and WA11 to WA13

WF3, WF6, WF10 and WF11

YO8, YO23 and YO26



SCHEDULE 3Regulation 18


Consequential Amendments

    1. - (1) The Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996[20] shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of this paragraph.

    (2) In regulation 23 (attendance) for the words "Secretary of State" there shall be substituted the words "employment officer".

    (3) In regulation 24 (provision of information and evidence), at the end there shall be added the following paragraph  - 

    " (11) In this regulation, references to the "Secretary of State" include a reference to persons designated as employment officers by an Order made by the Secretary of State under section 8(3) of the Jobseekers Act 1995[21].".

    2. - (1) The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987[22] shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of this paragraph.

    (2) In regulation 2(1) (interpretation) after the entry relating to "refugee" there shall be inserted the following entry  - 

" "relevant authority" means a person within section 72(2) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999[23];".

    (3) In each of the provisions specified in sub-paragraph (4) below, for the words "Secretary of State" there shall be substituted the words "employment officer".

    (4) Those provisions are  - 

(a) regulation 4(6)[24] (making a claim for benefit); and

(b) regulation 6(4A)[25] (date of claim).

    (5) In regulation 7(1), after the words "Secretary of State" in the first place where they occur, there shall be inserted the words "or, in a case where regulation 4A applies, the relevant authority".

    (6) In regulation 19(5)(d) (time for claiming benefit)[26], after the word "Employment" there shall be inserted the words "or in a case to which regulation 4A applies, a representative of a relevant authority".

    (7) In paragraph 2A(2)(b) of Schedule 7[27] after the words "associated office" there shall be inserted the words "or any office to which a claim may be made in accordance with regulation 4A(1)".

    (8) In regulation 32 (information to be given when obtaining benefit), after paragraph (1), there shall be inserted the following paragraph  - 

    " (1A) In the case of a person who made a claim for benefit in accordance with regulation 4A(1), a change of circumstances may be notified to a relevant authority at any office to which the claim for benefit could be made in accordance with that provision.".

---

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Regulations contained in this Instrument are made either by virtue of, or in consequence of, provisions in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c.30) ("the 1999 Act"). This Instrument is made before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the coming into force of those provisions; the regulations in it are therefore exempt from the requirement in section 172(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c.5) to refer proposals to make these Regulations to the Social Security Advisory Committee and are made without reference to that Committee.

Regulations 1 and 2 refer to citation, commencement and interpretation.

Regulation 3 describes the purposes of a work-focused interview.

Regulation 4 confers upon local authorities functions relating to the conduct of work-focused interviews. Regulation 5 confers on local authorities the function of taking claims for a number of social security benefits identified in the Regulations. The claims are forwarded to the Secretary of State.

Regulation 6 confers similar powers on local authorities in relation to claims for war pensions and applications relating to child support.

Regulation 7 enables bodies to whom social security information is supplied to hold that information and regulation 8 provides for the provision of information to persons making claims for social security.

Regulations 9 to 12 enable claims for housing benefit and council tax benefit to be made to offices of the Department of Social Security are to be forwarded to the local authority's offices.

Regulations 13 to 15 contain provisions relating to the use and supply of information.

Regulation 16 enables certain social security information to be supplied to the partners of person's claiming a jobseeker's allowance.

Regulation 17 enables social security information to be supplied to partners of claimants in receipt of any of four named benefits.

Regulation 18 and Schedule 3 contain consequential provisions.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.

---

Notes:

[1] 1992 c.5; sections 2C and 7A were inserted by respectively sections 58 and 71 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c.30); section 191 is an interpretation provision and is cited because of the meaning assigned to the word 'prescribe'.back

[2] 1999 c.30.back

[3] See section 176(1)(a) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.(c. 5).back

[4] See section 173(5)(b) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.back

[5] 1991 c.48.back

[6] 1995 c.34.back

[7] S.I. 1992/1814.back

[8] S.I. 1987/1971.back

[9] Section 2A was inserted by section 57 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999.back

[10] 1995 c.18.back

[11] S.I. 1987/1968.back

[12] S.I. 1999/3108back

[13] Offices displaying the One logo are identified in a list entitled "One sites  -  a complete list" available from the DSS, WtW1, 2nd Floor, Adelphi, London WC2N 6HT.back

[14] Paragraphs (1A) to (1C) were inserted by S.I. 1997/793.back

[15] Regulation 72A was inserted by S.I. 1999/1539.back

[16] Regulation 62A was inserted by S.I. 1999/1539.back

[17] 1973 c.50; section 2 was substituted by section 25(1) of the Employment Act 1988 (c.19).back

[18] See: Regulation 3 of these Regulations.back

[19] S.I. 1996/207.back

[20] S.I. 1996/207.back

[21] Section 8(3) was added by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c.30), Schedule 8, paragraph 29(3).back

[22] S.I. 1987/1968.back

[23] 1999 c.30back

[24] Regulation 4(6) was substituted by S.I. 1996/1460.back

[25] Regulation 6(4A) was inserted by S.I. 1997/793.back

[26] Regulation 19 was substituted by S.I. 1997/793.back

[27] Paragraph 2A was inserted by S.I. 1989/136.back

---

ISBN 0 11 085525 6

-- Back --