Decision Makers Guide - DMG32101

The assessment period: Any other period of weeks

When deciding the length of an assessment period under DMG32051 3. the decision maker should consider the relevant circumstances of the application . The period may be any number of complete weeks or months provided that those weeks or months
1) fall before the week of application and
2) enable the applicant 's normal weekly earnings to be calculated more accurately than by the application of DMG32051 1.or2.

Example 1 - DPTC

No periods can be disregarded under DMG32201. But the applicant produces evidence that because of ill-health
1) he had worked reduced hours and
2) trade fell off for ten weeks during the 26 weeks immediately before the week of application .

The decision maker may decide that the remaining 16 weeks within that 26-week period should be used as the assessment period. This is provided that the 16 weeks indicate the current level of trading. Or the decision maker might select a period before the applicant became ill.

Example 2 - WFTC

The applicant is a farmer. The trading of the business varies seasonally and accounts were not sent in. The 6 months immediately before the week of application covers the busiest time of the year, during which the bulk of the gross receipts are received. This period does not properly reflect the normal weekly earnings from the self-employment. The decision maker decides that the assessment period should cover the 52 weeks immediately before the week of claim, to allow for the effect of the seasonal changes. There are no periods to be disregarded under DMG32201, so the assessment period is the full 52 weeks before the week of application.

Example 3

Sixteen weeks before the week of application the nature of the applicant 's trade changes from a fish and chip shop to a sandwich bar. Business has improved so that the earnings that are normal at the date of application are those relating to the sandwich bar, and not an earlier period as a fish and chip shop for which accounts have been sent in. The decision maker decides that the period of 16 weeks before the week of application should be used as the assessment period.

Note The guidance in DMG32151 or 32201 does not apply to a case of this type as the applicant had been a self-employed earner for seven complete months (WFTC) / 26 weeks (DPTC) or more, even though this was in two different businesses