Legislation – Welfare Reform Act 2012

Welfare Reform Act 2012, Section 54 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 07 April 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 54:

specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/1511 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 5 13 14 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/2657 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 4–6 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/2657 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 13 15 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/2846 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 3 4 7 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/983 by S.I. 2018/138 art. 3
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/983 by S.I. 2019/10 reg. 3(1)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/983 by S.I. 2019/167 art. 5(2)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2013/983, art. 5A(1), 6(1) by S.I. 2017/483 art. 2
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/1583 by S.I. 2017/664 art. 5 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/209 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 3 4 8 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/209 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 10 16 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 5 9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2016/963 art. 3 7 8 13 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2017/584 art. 5 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2017/664 art. 5 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 3–5 10 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2016/963 art. 4 6–12 14 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 3–9 11 12 17 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2017/584 art. 3 4 6–9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2017/664 art. 3–5 7–9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2016/596 art. 3 4 11 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2016/963 art. 3–12 15 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2017/57 art. 3–7 9 12 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2017/584 art. 3 4 6–9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2017/664 art. 3–9 Sch.
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33 by S.I. 2018/138 art. 6
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33 by S.I. 2019/10 reg. 3(2)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33 by S.I. 2019/167 art. 5(3)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33 by S.I. 2019/37 art. 5
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/33, art. 6(11) by S.I. 2017/483 art. 3
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2018/138 art. 6
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2019/10 reg. 3(3)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2019/167 art. 5(4)
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2019/37 art. 5
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634, art. 7(2) by S.I. 2017/376 reg. 4
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2016/596 by S.I. 2016/963 art. 17
specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2019/37 by S.I. 2019/935 art. 2
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2014/1583 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 3 Sch.
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2014/2321 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 3 Sch.
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2015/101 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 3 Sch.
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2015/1537 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 3 Sch.
specified provision(s) modification of earlier commencing S.I. 2015/634 by S.I. 2018/532 art. 5

Part 2Working-age benefits

CHAPTER 2Employment and support allowance

Claimant responsibilities for interim period

54Claimant commitment for employment and support allowance

(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)

~~F1After section 1B (as inserted by section 52 above) there is inserted—~~

~~“1CClaimant commitment~~

~~(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)

~~F1In 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)

~~F1In 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
”.