Section 59 — Welfare Reform Act 2012: Claimant commitment for income support

Claimant commitment for income support 59 1 The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 is amended as follows.

2 Section 124 (income support) is amended as follows—

a in subsection (1), after paragraph (e) there is inserted—

ea he has accepted a claimant commitment; ;

b after subsection (1B) there is inserted— 1C Regulations may prescribe circumstances in which a person may be entitled to income support without having accepted a claimant commitment.

3 After section 124 there is inserted— Claimant commitment 124A 1 For the purposes of this Part a “claimant commitment” is a record of the claimant's responsibilities in relation to an award of income support.

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 section 124 and this section 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 124(1)(ea).

4 In section 2F of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (directions about work-related activity), in subsection (3)(b), for the words from “by” to “2E” there is substituted “ in such manner as the Secretary of State thinks fit ” .

5 In section 2G of that Act (contracting out), in subsection (1), at the end there is inserted—

d any function under section 124A of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 in relation to a claimant commitment.