The Income Support (General) Regulations 1987

[F1 Protected persons E+W+S

7.— (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), for the purposes of this paragraph a protected person is a claimant, where—

(a) in respect of the first week he is entitled to an increase under paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 (applicable amounts of persons in board and lodging accommodation or hostels) because either he or, if he is one of a couple or a member of a polygamous marriage, he or his partner satisfies any of the conditions in paragraph 8 of that Schedule; or

(b) in the first week the claimant or, if he has a partner, either he or his partner—

(i) is in need of personal care by reason of [F2 old age,] mental or physical disablement, mental illness, or dependence on alcohol or drugs; and

(ii) is receiving both board and personal care in accommodation other than a residential care home or nursing home or residential accommodation within the meaning of regulation 21(3) (special cases) or a hostel within the meaning of regulation 20(2) (applicable amounts for persons in board and lodging accommodation and hostels); and

(iii) is in accommodation which he entered under arrangements for his personal care made by a statutory authority or a voluntary or charitable body and those arrangements are being supervised on a continuing basis by that authority or body; or

(c) he or, if he has a partner, either he or his partner but for his temporary absence from his accommodation for a period not exceeding 13 weeks, which includes the first week, would have satisfied (a) or (b) above.

(2) A claimant is not a protected person if he or, if he has a partner, he or his partner, in the first week, is temporarily living in board and lodging accommodation and that accommodation is not the accommodation normally occupied as the home.

(3) Paragraph 4 shall not apply to a protected person.

(4) Paragraph 6(b) shall not apply to a protected person if:

(a) he moves to accommodation where he satisfies conditions (i) to (iii) of sub-paragraph (1)(b); or

(b) he becomes a patient within the meaning of regulation 21(3); or

(c) on his ceasing to be a patient within the meaning of regulation 21(3), either he returns to the accommodation which he occupied immediately before he became a patient, or he moves to other accommodation where he satisfies conditions [F3 (i) to (iii)] of sub-paragraph (1)(b); or

(d) in a case to which sub-paragraph (6) applies, on his becoming re-entitled to income support, he is either in the accommodation which he occupied immediately before he ceased to be entitled to income support, or in accommodation where he satisfies conditions (i) to (iii) of sub-paragraph (1)(b).

[F4 (5) Except where sub-paragraph (7) applies, where a protected sum was applicable to a protected person immediately before he or any partner of his became a patient within the meaning of regulation 21(3) for a period of 14 weeks or less, he shall, subject to sub-paragraph (4)(c), on his or, as the case may be, his partner’s ceasing to be a patient, be entitled to a protected sum equal to–

(a) the amount by which his protected total exceeds his applicable amount determined in accordance with the relevant provisions in the first benefit week in which his applicable amount ceases to be determined under paragraph 1 of Schedule 7 and either–

(i) any eligible housing benefit for the period of 7 consecutive days beginning on 10th April 1989; or, if greater,

(ii) in a case where sub-paragraph (7)(b) applied, any eligible housing benefit for the period of 7 consecutive days referred to in that sub-paragraph; or

(b) the amount of the protected sum to which he was entitled in the immediately preceding benefit week,

whichever is the lower.

(6) Paragraph 6(c) shall not apply to a protected person who has ceased to be entitled to income support for a period of not more than 8 weeks–

(a) if immediately before he ceased to be so entitled a protected sum was applicable to him; and

(b) except where sub-paragraph (7) applies, if during that period the protected person becomes re-entitled, or would by virtue of this sub-paragraph be re-entitled, to income support he shall, subject to sub-paragraph (4)(d), be entitled to a protected sum equal to–

(i) the amount by which his protected total exceeds his applicable amount determined in accordance with the relevant provisions in the first benefit week in which he becomes so re-entitled and either any eligible housing beneft for the period of 7 consecutive days beginning 10th April 1989 or, if greater, in a case to which sub-paragraph (7)(b) applied, any eligible housing benefit for the period of 7 consecutive days referred to in that sub-paragraph; or

(ii) the amount of the protected sum to which he was previously entitled,

whichever is the lower.

(7) Where a protected person or any partner of his is temporarily absent from his accommodation for a period not exceeding 13 weeks which includes the first or second week (or both)–

(a) in a case where a protected sum was applicable to the protected person immediately before his or, as the case may be, his partner’s return to that accommodation and the full charge was made for the accommodation during the temporary absence, on the protected person’s or, as the case may be, his partner’s return to that accommodation, the protected person shall be entitled to a protected sum equal to–

(i) the amount by which his protected total exceeds his applicable amount determined in accordance with the relevant provisions in the first complete benefit week after his or, as the case may be, his partner’s return to that accommodation and any eligible housing benefit for the period of 7 consecutive days beginning 10th April 1989; or

(ii) the amount of the protected sum which was applicable to him in the immediately preceding benefit week,

whichever is the lower;

(b) in a case where–

(i) a protected sum has not at any time been applicable to the protected person; or

(ii) immediately before the protected person’s or, as the case may be, his partner’s return to that accommodation a protected sum was applicable but a reduced charge was made for the accommodation during the temporary absence,

the protected person on his or, as the case may be, his partner’s return to that accommodation shall, subject to sub-paragraph (8), be entitled to a protected sum equal to the amount by which his protected total exceeds his applicable amount determined in accordance with the relevant provisions in the first complete benefit week after his or, as the case may be, his partner’s return to that accommodation and the amount of eligible housing benefit for the period of 7 consecutive days beginning on the date determined in accordance with regulation 65 or, as the case may be, 68(2) of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (date on which entitlement is to commence or change of circumstances is to take effect) following that person’s return to that accommodation.

(8) Where, in a case to which sub-paragraph (7)(b)(i) applies–

(a) in the first complete benefit week after the protected person’s or, as the case may be, his partner’s return to his accommodation the protected person’s income calculated in accordance with Part V or, as the case may be, VI exceeds the aggregate of his applicable amount determined in accordance with the relevant provisions and X; and

(b) the amount of income support to which he was entitled in the first week is more than the amount of housing benefit to which he would, but for this sub-paragraph, have been entitled in the period of 7 consecutive days beginning on the date determined in accordance with regulation 65 or, as the case may be, 68(2) of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 following his or, as the case may be, his partner’s return to that accommodation,

the protected sum applicable shall, subject to sub-paragraph (9), be an amount equal to X+Y+10 pence.

(9) Where the protected person or, as the case may be, his partner returns to the accommodation in the second week and he or his partner is, or both are, entitled in the first, second and third weeks to a relevant social security benefit or to more than one such benefit and consequent upon the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 1989 he or his partner is, or both are, entitled to an increase in any one or more of those benefits in the third week, the protected sum under sub-paragraph (8) shall be increased by an amount equal to the difference between–

(a) the amount of benefit or aggregate amount of those benefits to which the protected person or his partner is, or both are, entitled in the third week; and, if less,

(b) the amount of benefit or aggregate amount of those benefits to which the protected person or his partner is, or both are, entitled in the second week.

(10) In sub-paragraph (8)–

“X” means the sum which, but for sub-paragraph (8), would be the protected sum applicable in a case to which sub-paragraph (7)(b)(i) applies;

“Y” means the amount of the excess to which sub-paragraph (8)(a) refers;

“relevant social security benefit” has the same meaning as in paragraph 3(4).]]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 3A inserted (10.4.1989) by The Income Support (General) Amendment No. 4 Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/1445), reg. 1(1)(c), Sch. 1 para. 14, Sch. 2 (with reg. 28)

F2 Words in Sch. 3A para. 7(1)(b)(i) inserted (10.4.1989) by The Income Support (General) Amendment No. 5 Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/2022), regs. 1(1)(b), 19(e)

F3 Words in Sch. 3A para. 7(4)(c) substituted (10.4.1989) by The Income Support (General) Amendment No. 5 Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/2022), regs. 1(1)(b), 19(f)

F4 Sch. 3A para. 7(5)-(10) substituted for para. 7(5)-(7) (10.4.1989) by The Income Support (General) Amendment Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/534), regs. 1(1), 1(1)(b), 7(f)