The Income Support (General) Regulations 1987

Changes over time for: Section 51

Version Superseded: 06/10/1997

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Point in time view as at 07/04/1997. This version of this provision has been superseded.

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The Income Support (General) Regulations 1987, Section 51 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 04 December 2024. 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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Notional capitalE+W+S

51.—(1) A claimant shall be treated as possessing capital of which he has deprived himself for the purpose of securing entitlement to income support or increasing the amount of that benefit [F1except–

(a)where that capital is derived from a payment made in consequence of any personal injury and is placed on trust for the benefit of the claimant; or

(b)to the extent that the capital which he is treated as possessing is reduced in accordance with regulation 51A (diminishing notional capital rule).]

(2) Except in the case of—

(a)a discretionary trust;

(b)a trust derived from a payment made in consequence of a personal injury; or

(c)any loan which would be obtainable only if secured against capital disregarded under Schedule 10, [F2or

(d)a personal pension scheme or retirement annuity contract,]

any capital which would become available to the claimant upon application being made but which has not been acquired by him shall be treated as possessed by him but only from the date on which [F3it could be expected to be acquired were an application made]

[F4(3) Any payment of capital, other than a payment of capital made under the Macfarlane Trust[F5, the Macfarlane (Special Payments) Trust][F6, the Macfarlane (Special Payments) (No. 2) Trust][F7, the Fund[F8, the Eileen Trust ]] or [F9the Independent Living Funds], made—

(a)to a third party in respect of a single claimant or in respect of a member of the family (but not a member of the third party’s family) shall be treated—

(i)in a case where that payment is derived from a payment of any benefit under the benefit Acts, a war disablement pension[F10, war widow’s pension or a pension payable to a person as a widow under the Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 1983 in so far as that Order is made under the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act 1865 or the Pensions and Yeomanry Pay Act 1884, or is made only under section 12(1) of the Social Security (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1977 and any power of Her Majesty otherwise than under an enactment to make provision about pensions for or in respect of persons who have been disabled or who have died in consequence of service as members of the armed forces of the Crown,] as possessed by that single claimant, if it is paid to him, or by that member if it is paid to any member of the family;

(ii)in any other case, as possessed by that single claimant or by that member to the extent that it is used for the food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel, rent or rates for which housing benefit is payable, F11... any housing costs to the extent that they are met under regulation 17(1)(e) and 18(1)(f) (housing costs) or accommodation charge to the extent that it is met under regulation 19 F12... (persons in residential care or nursing homes F13... F12...), of that single claimant or, as the case may be, of any member of that family[F14, or is used for any [F15council tax] or water charges for which that claimant or member is liable];

(b)to a single claimant or a member of the family in respect of a third party (but not in respect of another member of the family) shall be treated as possessed by that single claimant or, as the case may be, that member of the family to the extent that it is kept or used by him or used by or on behalf of any member of the family.]

(4) Where a claimant stands in relation to a company in a position analogous to that of a sole owner or partner in the business of that company, he shall be treated as if he were such sole owner or partner and in such a case—

(a)the value of his holding in that company shall, notwithstanding regulation 46 (calculation of capital), be disregarded; and

(b)he shall, subject to paragraph (5), be treated as possessing an amount of capital equal to the value or, as the case may be, his share of the value of the capital of that company and the foregoing provisions of this Chapter shall apply for the purposes of calculating that amount as if it were actual capital which he does possess.

(5) For so long as the claimant undertakes activities in the course of the business of the company, the amount which he is treated as possessing under paragraph (4) shall be disregarded.

(6) Where a claimant is treated as possessing capital under any of paragraphs (1) to (4), the foregoing provisions of this Chapter shall apply for the purposes of calculating its amount as if it were actual capital which he does possess.

[F16(7) For the avoidance of doubt a claimant is to be treated as possessing capital under paragraph (1) only if the capital of which he has deprived himself is actual capital.]

[F17(8) In paragraph (3) the expression “ordinary clothing or footwear” means clothing or footwear for normal daily use, but does not include school uniforms, or clothing or footwear used solely for sporting activities.]

Textual Amendments

F1Words in reg. 51(1) substituted (1.10.1990) by The Income Support (General) Amendment No. 3 Regulations 1990 (S.I. 1990/1776), regs. 1(1)(a), 5(a) (with reg. 1(2))

F2Reg. 51(2)(d) added (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Income-related Benefits Schemes and Social Security (Claims and Payments) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/2303), regs. 1(1)(a), 6(5) (with reg. 8)

F3Words in reg. 51(2) substituted (11.4.1988) by The Income Support (General) Amendment Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/663), regs. 1(1), 22(a)

F4Reg. 51(3) substituted (12.9.1988) by The Income Support (General) Amendment No. 4 Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/1445), regs. 1(1)(b), 12(a)

F5Words in reg. 51(3) inserted (31.1.1990) by The Income-related Benefits Schemes Amendment Regulations 1990 (S.I. 1990/127), regs. 1(1), 3(3)(c)

F6Words in reg. 51(3) inserted (11.5.1991) by The Income-related Benefits Schemes and Social Security (Recoupment) Amendment Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/1175), regs. 1(1), 5(5)

F7Words in reg. 51(3) inserted (7.5.1992) by The Income-related Benefits Schemes and Social Security (Recoupment) Amendment Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/1101), regs. 1(1), 6(5)

F8Words in reg. 51(3) inserted (14.5.1993) by The Income-related Benefits Schemes and Social Security (Recoupment) Amendment Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/1249), regs. 1(1)(a), 4(3)(c)

F9Words in reg. 51(3) substituted (22.4.1993) by The Social Security Benefits (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/963), regs. 1, 2(3)(4)

F10Words in reg. 51(3)(a)(i) substituted (for specified purposes and with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Income-related Benefits and Jobseeker’s Allowance (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/65), regs. 1(1)(2), 9

F11Words in reg. 51(3)(a)(ii) omitted (7.10.1991) by virtue of The Income Support (General) Amendment No. 4 Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/1559), regs. 1(1)(c), 9(a) (with reg. 1(2))