
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Employment Zones Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 27th October 2003.
(2) In these Regulations—
 “claimant” means a claimant for a jobseeker’s allowance;
 “direction” means a direction to participate in an employment zone programme;
 “employment officer” means an officer of the Secretary of State or such other person as may be designated for the purposes of sections 8 and 19 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 by an order made by the Secretary of State;
 “employment zone” means an area within Great Britain subject to a designation for the purpose of these Regulations by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 60 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 as an area wherein an employment zone programme subject to these Regulations is established;
 “employment zone programme” means a programme designed to assist claimants for a jobseeker’s allowance to obtain sustainable employment established by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 60 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 for an employment zone.
(3) For the purposes of section 60 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 “employment” means employment whether under a contract of service or a contract of apprenticeship, or a contract for services, or otherwise under a contract, and includes in particular self-employment and the holding of an office.
2 

(1) An employment officer may direct a claimant who is aged 25 years or over and ordinarily resident within an employment zone to participate in an employment zone programme if in the period immediately preceding the date on which the direction is made, the claimant—
(a) was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance for a continuous period of at least 18 months; or
(b) was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance for a cumulative total of at least 18 months out of the previous 21 months; or
(c) had participated in an employment zone programme pursuant to the Employment Zones Regulations 2000 or these Regulations in the previous twelve months but left that programme before completing the programme.
(2) An employment officer may direct a claimant who is aged 18 years or over but less than 25 years who has participated in a programme of training known as New Deal for Young People and is ordinarily resident within an employment zone to participate in an employment zone programme if in the period immediately proceeding the date on which the direction is made, the claimant—
(a) was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance for a continuous period of at least 6 months;
(b) was entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance for a cumulative period of at least 6 months provided that any breaks in that claim do not exceed a period of 28 days in total; or
(c) had participated in an employment zone programme in the previous 12 months but left that programme before completing the programme.
3 
An employment officer may direct a claimant to participate in an employment zone programme provided that the claimant has requested the direction and—
(a) his personal circumstances place him at a significant disadvantage in obtaining employment; and
(b) he is ordinarily resident within an employment zone or his address for payment of his jobseeker’s allowance is located within an employment zone.
4 

(1) An employment zone programme shall consist of two stages—
(a) the first stage shall last for a maximum period of 4 weeks;
(b) the second stage shall last for a maximum period of 26 weeks.
(2) A claimant begins to participate in the first stage of an employment zone programme on the day when he attends an initial interview with an employment officer who is an employment zone programme adviser following a direction given under regulation 2 or 3.
(3) Subject to paragraph (1)(a), the claimant shall cease to participate in the first stage on such day as may be specified by an employment officer in a written notification to the claimant.
(4) A claimant begins to participate in the second stage of an employment zone programme on the day specified by an employment officer in a written notification to the claimant.
(5) Subject to paragraph (1)(b), the claimant shall cease to participate in the second stage on such day as may be specified by an employment officer in a written notification to the claimant.
5 

(1) During the claimant’s participation in the first stage of an employment zone programme the requirements for receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance specified in section 1(2) of the Jobseekers Act 1995 are modified by suspension of the requirement in section 1(2)(b) of that Act that the claimant has entered into a jobseeker’s agreement which remains in force.
(2) During the claimant’s participation in the second stage of an employment zone programme the requirements for receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance specified in section 1(2) of the Jobseekers Act 1995 are modified by the suspension of the requirements in section 1(2)(a) to (c) of that Act that the claimant—
(a) be available for employment;
(b) has entered into a jobseeker’s agreement which remains in force; and
(c) is actively seeking employment.
6 
In regulation 75(1)(a) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 for head (iii) substitute—“employment zone programme, being a programme established by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 60 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 for an employment zone designed to assist claimants for a jobseeker’s allowance to obtain sustainable employment and subject to the Employment Zones Regulations 2000 or the Employment Zones Regulations 2003.”
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
P.Hollis
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
Department for Work and Pensions
22nd September 2003