Section 54 — Welfare Reform Act 2012: Claimant commitment for employment and support allowance

Claimant commitment for employment and support allowance 54 1 The Welfare Reform Act 2007 is amended as follows.

2 In section 1(3) (employment and support allowance: basic conditions) after paragraph (a) there is inserted—

aa has accepted a claimant commitment, .

3 After section 1B (as inserted by section 52 above) there is inserted— Claimant commitment 1C 1 For the purposes of this Part a “claimant commitment” is a record of the claimant's responsibilities in relation to an award of an employment and support allowance.

2 A claimant commitment is to be prepared by the Secretary of State and may be reviewed and updated as the Secretary of State thinks fit.

3 A claimant commitment is to be in such form as the Secretary of State thinks fit.

4 A claimant commitment is to include—

a any prescribed information, and b any other information the Secretary of State considers it appropriate to include.

5 For the purposes of this Part a claimant accepts a claimant commitment if, and only if, the claimant accepts the most up-to-date version of it in such manner as may be prescribed.

6 Regulations may provide that, in prescribed circumstances, a claimant is to be treated as having satisfied the condition mentioned in section 1(3)(aa).

4 In section 15(2)(b) (directions about work-related activity) for the words from “by” to “14” there is substituted “ in such manner as the Secretary of State thinks fit ” .

5 In section 16(1) (contracting out) before paragraph (a) there is inserted—

za any function under section 1C in relation to a claimant commitment; .

6 In Schedule 2 (supplementary provisions) after paragraph 4 there is inserted— 4A Regulations may prescribe circumstances in which a person may be entitled to employment and support allowance without having accepted a claimant commitment.

7 In section 31(2) of the Welfare Reform Act 2009 (action plans: well-being of children), in subsection (5) inserted into section 14 of the Welfare Reform Act 2007, after “preparing any” there is inserted “ claimant commitment or ” .