The Social Security (Work-focused Interviews) Regulations 2000

3.—(1) In regulation 59 (date on which change of circumstances is to take effect), in paragraph (1), for the word “applies” there shall be substituted the words “and regulation 59A applies”.

(2) After regulation 59 there shall be inserted the following regulation–

“Date of change of circumstances following a decision as to whether a person took part in a work-focused interview

59A.—(1) Where the relevant change of circumstances is a decision made in accordance with regulation 11 of the Work-focused Interviews Regulations as to whether a person took part in a work-focused interview, the date on which the change of circumstances is to take effect shall be determined in accordance with the following paragraphs of this regulation.

(2) Where the relevant change of circumstances is that the consequences specified in regulation 12(2)(b) or (c) of the Work-focused Interviews Regulations apply, the change shall take effect as from the first day of the next benefit week following the date of the decision that the claimant failed without good cause to take part in a work-focused interview.

(3) Where the relevant change of circumstances is that the claimant attains the age of 60 or ceases to reside in an area specified in Schedule 1 to the Work-focused Interviews Regulations, the date on which the change of circumstances is to take effect is the first day of the next benefit week to commence for that person following the date the decision was made or the circumstance occurs.

(4) Where the relevant change of circumstances is a decision that the consequences specified in paragraph (2) which applied to the claimant no longer apply, the date on which the change of circumstances is to take effect is the day on which it would have had effect had the revised decision been made on the date of the decision it revised.

(5) Where a person–

(a)has been held not to have taken part in a work-focused interview;

(b)in consequence of that decision suffers a reduction in benefit;

(c)subsequently takes part in a work-focused interview,

the date on which the change of circumstances is to have effect is the first day of the benefit week in which the requirement to take part in the interview was met.”.