The Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

Denial of jobseeker’s allowance

Circumstances in which a jobseeker’s allowance is not payable

21.—(1) Even though the conditions for entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance are satisfied with respect to a person, the allowance shall not be payable in any of the circumstances mentioned in paragraph (5) or (6).

(2) If the circumstances are any of those mentioned in paragraph (5), the period for which the allowance is not to be payable shall be such period (of at least one week but not more than 26 weeks) as may be prescribed.

(3) If the circumstances are any of those mentioned in paragraph (6), the period for which the allowance is not to be payable shall be such period (of at least one week but not more than 26 weeks) as may be determined by the adjudication officer.

(4) Regulations may prescribe—

(a)circumstances which an adjudication officer is to take into account, and

(b)circumstances which he is not to take into account, in determining a period under paragraph (3).

(5) The circumstances referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) are that the claimant—

(a)has, without good cause, refused or failed to carry out any jobseeker’s direction which was reasonable, having regard to his circumstances,

(b)has, without good cause—

(i)neglected to avail himself of a reasonable opportunity of a place on a training scheme or employment programme;

(ii)after a place on such a scheme or programme has been notified to him by an employment officer as vacant or about to become vacant, refused or failed to apply for it or to accept it when offered to him;

(iii)given up a place on such a scheme or programme; or

(iv)failed to attend such a scheme or programme on which he has been given a place; or

(c)has lost his place on such a scheme or programme through misconduct.

(6) The circumstances referred to in paragraphs (1) and (3) are that the claimant—

(a)has lost his employment as an employed earner through misconduct;

(b)has voluntarily left such employment without just cause;

(c)has, without good cause, after a situation in any employment has been notified to him by an employment officer as vacant or about to become vacant, refused or failed to apply for it or to accept it when offered to him; or

(d)has, without good cause, neglected to avail himself of a reasonable opportunity of employment.

(7) In such circumstances as may be prescribed, including in particular where he has been dismissed by his employer by reason of redundancy within the meaning of section 11(2) of the Contracts of Employment and Redundancy Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 1965(1) after volunteering or agreeing to be so dismissed, a person who might otherwise be regarded as having left his employment voluntarily is to be treated as not having left voluntarily.

(8) Regulations may—

(a)prescribe matters which are, or are not, to be taken into account in determining whether a person—

(i)has, or does not have, good cause for any act or omission; or

(ii)has, or does not have, just cause for any act or omission; or

(b)prescribe circumstances in which a person—

(i)is, or is not, to be regarded as having, or not having, good cause for any act or omission; or

(ii)is, or is not, to be regarded as having, or not having, just cause for any act or omission.

(9) Subject to any regulations under paragraph (8), in determining whether a person has, or does not have, good cause or (as the case may be) just cause for any act or omission, any matter relating to the level of remuneration in the employment in question shall be disregarded.

(10) In this Article—

(a)“employment officer” means an officer of the Department or such other person as may be designated for the purposes of this Article by an order made by the Department;

(b)“jobseeker’s direction” means a direction in writing given by an employment officer with a view to achieving one or both of the following—

(i)assisting the claimant to find employment;

(ii)improving the claimant’s prospects of being employed; and

(c)“training scheme” and “employment programme” have such meaning as may be prescribed.

Exemptions from Article 21

22.—(1) Nothing in Article 21, or in regulations under that Article, shall be taken to prevent payment of a jobseeker’s allowance merely because the claimant refuses to seek or accept employment in a situation which is vacant in consequence of a stoppage of work due to a trade dispute.

(2) Article 21 does not apply, in the circumstances mentioned in paragraph (5) of that Article, if—

(a)a direction is in force under Article 18 with respect to the claimant; and

(b)he has acted in such a way as to risk—

(i)having that direction revoked under paragraph (3)(b) of Article 18; or

(ii)having the amount of his jobseeker’s allowance reduced by virtue of Article 19, because he has failed to complete a course of training.

(3) Regulations shall make provision for the purpose of enabling any person of a prescribed description to accept any employed earner’s employment without falling within Article 21(6)(b) or (d) should he leave that employment voluntarily and without just cause at any time during a trial period.

(4) In such circumstances as may be prescribed, an income-based jobseeker’s allowance shall be payable to a claimant even though Article 21 prevents payment of a jobseeker’s allowance to him.

(5) A jobseeker’s allowance shall be payable by virtue of paragraph (4) only if the claimant has complied with such requirements as to the provision of information as may be prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph.

(6) Regulations under paragraph (4) may, in particular, provide for a jobseeker’s allowance payable by virtue of that paragraph to be—

(a)payable at a prescribed rate;

(b)payable for a prescribed period (which may differ from the period fixed under Article 21(2) or (3)).

(7) In paragraph (3), “trial period” has such meaning as may be prescribed.

(8) Regulations may make provision for determining, for the purposes of this Article, the day on which a person’s employment is to be regarded as commencing.