In these Regulations—

• “appropriate office” means an office, by whatever name it is from time to time known, of the Department for Work and Pensions which is identified in the Schedule to these Regulations by reference to its region, pilot area and name as at the date these Regulations come into force;

• “benefit” means a jobseeker’s allowance or any earnings credited to a person in accordance with regulation 8A of the Social Security (Credits) Regulations 19755;

• “basic skills training” means a scheme provided in pursuance of arrangements made by the Secretary of State under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 19736 for the attainment of appropriate literacy skills, language skills or numeracy skills (whether all or any of them) and which, in respect of any individual, is intended to last for a period not exceeding 12 months.

For the purpose of calculating the period of not less than six months referred to in regulation 3(2)(c) of these Regulations, a period of interruption to the receipt of benefit not exceeding 28 days, or any periods of such interruption which added together do not exceed a total of 28 days, shall be disregarded.

In respect of any period throughout which a member of a joint-claim couple is receiving a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance, the other member of that couple shall, for the purposes of regulation 3(2)(c) of these Regulations, also be treated as receiving benefit throughout that period.