SOCIAL SECURITY Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and shall come into operation on 30th May 2006. 2 The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly. Amendment of the Income Support (General) Regulations 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 3 1 The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (6). 2 In regulation 5(1) (exceptions to requirement to be available immediately)— a sub-paragraph (a) shall be omitted; b in sub-paragraph (b), after “voluntary work” there shall be inserted “or who has caring responsibilities”. 3 In regulation 14 (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as available)— a in paragraph (1) — i after “to whom regulation 15(a), (b)” there shall be inserted “, (bc)”, and ii after “circumstances apply, subject to”, there shall be inserted “paragraph (2B) and to”; b after paragraph (1)(p) there shall be added the following sub-paragraphs— q if he is required to attend a court or tribunal as a justice of the peace, a party to any proceedings, a witness or a juror; r if, for a maximum of 96 hours before being released, he is in police detention within the meaning in Article 2(3) of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (general interpretation). ; c after paragraph (2A) , there shall be inserted the following paragraph— 2B A person shall not be treated as available for employment under paragraph (1)(q)— a for more than 8 weeks, b where he does not, before the period during which he is required to attend the court or tribunal, give an employment officer notice, in writing where requested by the employment officer, that he is so required, or c where he is a prisoner as defined by regulation 85(4) (special cases). , and d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 In regulation 19 (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employment)— a in paragraph (1), for “paragraph (2)” there shall be substituted “paragraphs (2) and (2A)”; b after paragraph (1)(t) there shall be added the following sub-paragraphs— u in any week during which he is, for not less than 3 days, required to attend a court or tribunal as a justice of the peace, a party to any proceedings, a witness or a juror; v if, for a maximum of 96 hours before being released, he is in police detention within the meaning in Article 2(3) of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (general interpretation). ; c after paragraph (2) there shall be inserted the following paragraph— 2A A person shall not be treated as actively seeking employment under paragraph (1)(u)— a for more than 8 weeks, b where he does not, before the period during which he is required to attend the court or tribunal, give an employment officer notice, in writing where requested by the employment officer, that he is so required, or c where he is a prisoner as defined by regulation 85(4) (special cases). , and d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 In regulation 30 (circumstances in which a claimant is to be regarded as having good cause for failing to comply with a notification under regulation 23)— a in paragraph (a) , “(a) or” shall be omitted, and b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 25th May 2006. John O'Neill A senior officer of the Department for Social Development