Commentary on Sections Part 1: Social security Section 21:  Repeal of sections 53 to 57 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000Section 22: Period for which pilot schemes have effect etc.
This section amends Article 31 of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and section 19(1) of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 which allow for the piloting of regulations made under specified enactments relating to working-age benefits. Piloting regulations can have effect only in specified areas and in relation to specified classes of persons. Persons can be selected for participation in schemes on a sampling basis. At the moment, piloting regulations can only have effect for a maximum of 12 months under Article 31 of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and a maximum of 24 months under section 19(1) of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007. Subsections (1)(a) and (2) extend and align both these time limits to 36 months. Subsection (1)(b) amends Article 31 of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 to mirror the language used in section 19 of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 so as to create consistency and to ensure that regulations which are aimed at making it more likely that persons will obtain or remain in work or be able to do so, can be piloted.