Policy paper

Welfare Reform Act 2012 regulations from 2012 to 2015

Published 16 April 2013

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

The following regulations and statutory instruments relating to the Welfare Reform Act 2012 are published on the legislation.gov.uk website. We have published the links here so that you can find the legislation published between 2012 and May 2015 relating to the Act in one place.

Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – amending Commencement Order (2015 No. 740) – amends Commencement Order No. 23 for relevant Universal Credit claims made from 10 June 2015.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No. 23 – provides for expansion of Universal Credit to further postcodes in the London Boroughs of Sutton, Croydon and Southwark in three phases from 18 March, 10 June and 4 November 2015.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No. 22 – provides for the first phase of the national expansion of Universal Credit claims for single claimants between 16 February and 20 July 2015.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – amending Commencement Order (2015 No. 32) – provides for the introduction of Universal Credit claims from claimants with children in all current Live Service offices. This is implemented in two phases on 26 January and 2 March 2015.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No. 21 – provides for the resumption of Universal Credit new claims in the London Borough of Sutton from 28 January 2015.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No. 20 – provides for the introduction of Universal Credit claims in the London Borough of Sutton for a test period from 26 November to 19 December 2014.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – amending Commencement Order (2014 No. 3067) – provides for the introduction of Universal Credit claims from claimants with children in Warrington, Birkenhead, Bromborough, Hoylake, Upton and Wallasey Jobcentres from 24 November 2014.

The Universal Credit and Miscellaneous Amendments (No.2) Regulations 2014 – the amendments contained in these regulations will apply to all Universal Credit claimants, whether claiming under the Live Service or the Digital Service arrangements.

The Universal Credit (Digital Service) Amendment Regulations 2014 – the amendments contained in these regulations are those that will reflect Universal Credit in the enhanced Digital Service but will not be implemented in the Live Service.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No. 19 – provides for further expansion of Universal Credit in north west England between September and December 2014.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – amending Commencement Order (2014 No. 1923) – provides for the introduction of claims by couples from 28 July 2014 in all areas where Universal Credit is running.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – amending Commencement Order (2014 No. 1661) – updates the gateway conditions for claiming Universal Credit, and provides for the introduction of Universal Credit claims by couples in Hammersmith, Inverness, Rugby, Bath and Harrogate from 30 June 2014.

Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 – enhances provision dealing Universal Credit expansion.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No. 17 – provides for Universal Credit expansion in North West England during June and July 2014.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – amending Commencement Order (2014 No. 1452) – provides for continued Universal Credit expansion from June 2014.

Universal Credit transitional provisions regulations 2014 – provides for continued Universal Credit expansion from June 2014.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No.16 – provides for the Universal Credit Pathfinder to be extended to Bath and Harrogate on 24 February, and to Shotton on 7 April 2014.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No.14 – provides for the Universal Credit Pathfinder to be extended to Rugby and Inverness on 25 November 2013.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No.13 – provides for the Universal Credit Pathfinder to be extended to Hammersmith on 28 October 2013.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No.11 – provides for the Universal Credit Pathfinder to be extended to Wigan on 1 July and to Oldham and Warrington on 29 July 2013.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 – Commencement Order No. 9 – provides for the Universal Credit Pathfinder to start on 29 April 2013 in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Universal Credit transitional provisions regulations 2013 – provide for the limited introduction of Universal Credit from 29 April 2013 for certain claimants who will participate in the ‘Pathfinder’.

Payments on account of benefit regulations 2013 – replace interim payments and some crisis loans with Universal Credit Advances and Short Term Benefit Advances and replace Budgeting Loans with Budgeting Advances.

Decisions and appeals regulations for Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance 2013 – update existing provisions on how decisions are made, including a new requirement for decisions to be reconsidered before claimants can appeal.

Claims and payments regulations for Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance 2013 – update existing provisions and makes new provisions, for example to pay Universal Credit 1 month in arrears.

Employment and Support Allowance regulations 2013 – remove income-related rules and brings contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance into line with Universal Credit on labour market requirements.

Jobseeker’s Allowance regulations 2013 – remove income-related rules and bring contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance into line with Universal Credit on labour market requirements.

Universal Credit regulations 2013 – set out the main rules for Universal Credit, including entitlement, elements of the award, calculation of income and capital, and claimant responsibilities, and also allow for a benefit cap.

Employment and Support Allowance sanctions amendment regulations 2012 – align the Employment and Support Allowance sanctions regime with Universal Credit and introduce hardship payments prior to introduction of Universal Credit.

Jobseeker’s Allowance sanctions amendment regulations 2012 – introduce a new sanctions regime for Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance

Personal Independence Payment amendment regulations 2013 – make clear that, when assessing whether an individual can carry out an activity, we must look at whether they can do so safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period.

Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance amendment regulations 2013 – allow for changes to certain rules on residence, absences abroad, age limits and hospital and care homes.

Personal Independence Payment supplementary provisions and consequential amendments regulations 2013 – allow for Personal Independence Payment claimants to qualify for certain other schemes and benefits (known as ‘passporting arrangements’).

Personal Independence Payment transitional provisions regulations 2013 – set out the transitional arrangements for assessing existing Disability Living Allowance claimants for Personal Independence Payment.

Personal Independence Payment regulations 2013 – set out the main rules for Personal Independence Payment, including the assessment criteria, and payment amounts.

Housing costs

Claims and payments amendment regulations 2013 – make changes to the cost mortgage lenders pay towards the mortgage interest direct scheme.

Rent officers (Universal Credit functions) order 2013 – allow for rent officers in England, Wales and Scotland to make decisions about housing costs relating to Universal Credit.

Housing Benefit amendment regulations – introduce a requirement to set a maximum rent in the social rented sector using the local housing allowance size criteria, and also make changes to the time and circumstances in which a case subject to the local housing allowance is reviewed.

Benefit Cap (Housing Benefit) regulations 2012 – amend the Housing Benefit regulations to introduce a benefit cap.

Council Tax Benefit

Council Tax Benefit abolition (consequential provision) regulations 2013 – remove or amend references to Council Tax Benefit in various statutory instruments.

Fraud and overpayments

Loss of benefit amendment regulations 2013 – change the reduction applied to some means-tested benefits and to hardship arrangements, and also sets out the ‘serious fraud’ offences which attract an immediate 3 year loss of benefit.

Overpayments and recovery regulations 2013 – set out rules for calculating and recovering overpayments of Universal Credit, certain Tax Credits and contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance.

Sharing information with other organisations

Information-sharing in relation to welfare services etc amendment and prescribed bodies regulations 2013 – allow DWP and other bodies responsible for certain local welfare services, such as Housing Benefit, council tax and local welfare provision, to share information.