Statutory Instruments
1998 No. 1698

SOCIAL SECURITY
The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1998

Made
13th July 1998

Laid before Parliament
14th July 1998

Coming into force

Except for regulation 3(c)
4th August 1998

Regulation 3(c)
1st December 1998

The Secretary of State for Education and Employment, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 19(10)(c) and 35(1) of, and paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 to, the Jobseekers Act 1995(1), and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, and after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee that proposals in respect of these Regulations should not be referred to it(2), hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1998 and regulation 3(c) shall come into force on 1st December 1998 and the remainder of these Regulations shall come into force on 4th August 1998.

(2) In these Regulations “the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996(3).

Interpretation of Part IV of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

2.  In regulation 57(1) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations, in the definition of “training”, for the words “pursuant to its arrangement with the Secretary of State (whether that arrangement is known as an Operating Agreement or by any other name)” there shall be substituted the words “, or a Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise, under its contractual arrangement with the Secretary of State”.

Interpretation of section 19 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 and Part V of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

3.  In regulation 75 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations–

(a)paragraph (1)(a)(i)(cc) shall be omitted;

(b)for paragraph (1)(a)(i)(ee) there shall be substituted the following–

“(ee)Programme Centre Workshop, being a programme of up to 29 hours' attendance over a period not exceeding 28 days, and consisting of a series of individual modules providing job search advice and guidance, motivational assistance and assistance in the preparation of a curriculum vitae; and”;

(c)paragraph (1)(a)(i)(bb) and (dd) shall be omitted.

4.  In regulation 75(1)(b)(i) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations for the words “pursuant to its arrangement with the Secretary of State (whether that arrangement is known as an Operating Agreement or by any other name)” there shall be substituted the words “, or a Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise, under its contractual arrangement with the Secretary of State”.

Persons in receipt of a training allowance

5.  In regulation 170(2) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations for the words “pursuant to its arrangement with the Secretary of State (whether that arrangement is known as an Operating Agreement or by any other name)” there shall be substituted the words “, or a Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise, under its contractual arrangement with the Secretary of State”.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Education and Employment

Alan Howarth
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
Department for Education and Employment
13th July 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/207) (“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations”).
In particular, they amend the definition of “training” or “training scheme” as the case may be in regulations 57, 75 and 170 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations to reflect the fact that training that was formerly provided by a Training and Enterprise Council may now in some cases be provided by a Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise.
These Regulations also amend the definition of “an employment programme” in regulation 75 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations. Regulation 75 is an interpretation provision. It prescribes employment programmes and training schemes for the purposes of section 19 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations. The effect is that if a person, without good cause, refuses or fails to participate in one of those programmes or schemes, or loses his place on one of those programmes or schemes due to misconduct, he will receive a sanction under section 19. Regulation 3 removes from the definition of such programmes Workwise (in Scotland, Worklink) and Restart course as from 4th August 1998, and Jobfinder and 1–2–1 as from 1st December 1998. In addition a new programme called Programme Centre Workshop is added to the definition of “an employment programme” as from 4th August 1998.


(1)
1995 c. 18.

(2)
See sections 170 and 173(1)(b) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c. 5); paragraph 67 of Schedule 2 to the Jobseekers Act 1995 added that Act to the list of “relevant enactments” in respect of which regulations must normally be referred to the Committee.

(3)
S.I. 1996/207; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1997/2863, 1998/1174 and 1998/1274.