The Income Support (General) Regulations 1987

[F1 Circumstances in which a person is to be treated as occupying a dwelling as his home E+W+S

3.— (1) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, a person shall be treated as occupying as his home the dwelling normally occupied as his home by himself or, if he is a member of a family, by himself and his family and he shall not be treated as occupying any other dwelling as his home.

(2) In determining whether a dwelling is the dwelling normally occupied as the claimant’s home for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) regard shall be had to any other dwelling occupied by the claimant or by him and his family whether or not that other dwelling is in Great Britain.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4), where a single claimant or a lone parent is a [F2 full-time student] or is on a training course and is liable to make payments (including payments of mortgage interest or, in Scotland, payments under heritable securities or, in either case, analogous payments) in respect of either (but not both) the dwelling which he occupies for the purpose of attending his course of study or his training course or, as the case may be, the dwelling which he occupies when not attending his course, he shall be treated as occupying as his home the dwelling in respect of which he is liable to make payments.

(4) A full-time student shall not be treated as occupying a dwelling as his home for any week of absence from it, other than an absence occasioned by the need to enter hospital for treatment, outside the period of study, if the main purpose of his occupation during the period of study would be to facilitate attendance on his course.

(5) Where a claimant has been required to move into temporary accommodation by reason of essential repairs being carried out to the dwelling normally occupied as his home and he is liable to make payments (including payments of mortgage interest or, in Scotland, payments under heritable securities or, in either case, analogous payments) in respect of either (but not both) the dwelling normally occupied or the temporary accommodation, he shall be treated as occupying as his home the dwelling in respect of which he is liable to make those payments.

(6) Where a person is liable to make payments in respect of two (but not more than two) dwellings, he shall be treated as occupying both dwellings as his home only—

(a) where he has left and remains absent from the former dwelling occupied as the home through fear of violence in that dwelling or by a former member of his family and it reasonable that housing costs should be met in respect of both his former dwelling and his present dwelling occupied as the home; or

(b) in the case of a couple or a member of a polygamous marriage where a partner is a [F2 full-time student] or is on a training course and it is unavoidable that he or they should occupy two separate dwellings and reasonable that housing costs should be met in respect of both dwellings; or

(c) in the case where a person has moved into a new dwelling occupied as the home, except where sub-paragraph (5) applies, for a period not exceeding four benefit weeks [F3 from the first day of the benefit week in which the move occurs] if his liability to make payments in respect of two dwellings is unavoidable.

(7) Where—

(a) a person has moved into a dwelling and was liable to make payments in respect of that dwelling before moving in; and

(b) he had claimed income support before moving in and either that claim has not yet been determined or it has been determined but an amount has not been included under this Schedule and if the claim has been refused a further claim has been made within four weeks of the date on which the claimant moved into the new dwelling occupied as the home; and

(c) the delay in moving into the dwelling in respect of which there was liability to make payments before moving in was reasonable and—

(i) that delay was necessary in order to adapt the dwelling to meet the disablement needs of the claimant or any member of his family; or

[F4 (ii) the move was delayed pending [F5 local welfare provision or] the outcome of an application under Part 8 of the Contributions and Benefits Act for a social fund payment to meet a need arising out of the move or in connection with setting up the home in the dwelling, and—

(aa) a member of the claimant’s family is aged five or under,

(bb) the claimant’s applicable amount includes a premium under paragraph 9, 9A, 10, 11, 13 or 14 of Schedule 2 (applicable amounts), or

(cc) a child tax credit is paid for a member of the claimant’s family who is disabled or severely disabled for the purposes of section 9(6) (maximum rate) of the Tax Credits Act 2002; or]

(iii) the person became liable to make payments in respect of the dwelling while he was a patient or was in residential accommodation,

he shall be treated as occupying the dwelling as his home for any period not exceeding four weeks immediately prior to the date on which he moved into the dwelling and in respect of which he was liable to make payments.

(8) This sub-paragraph applies to a person who enters residential accommodation—

(a) for the purpose of ascertaining whether the accommodation suits his needs; and

(b) with the intention of returning to the dwelling which he normally occupies as his home should, in the event, the residential accommodation prove not to suit his needs,

and while in the accommodation, the part of the dwelling which he normally occupies as his home is not let, or as the case may be, sub-let to another person.

(9) A person to whom sub-paragraph (8) applies shall be treated as occupying the dwelling he normally occupies as his home during any period (commencing with the day he enters the accommodation) not exceeding l3 weeks in which the person is resident in the accommodation, but only in so far as the total absence from the dwelling does not exceed 52 weeks.

(10) A person, other than a person to whom sub-paragraph (11) applies, shall be treated as occupying a dwelling as his home throughout any period of absence not exceeding 13 weeks, if, and only if—

(a) he intends to return to occupy the dwelling as his home; and

(b) the part of the dwelling normally occupied by him has not been let or, as the case may be, sub-let to another person; and

(c) the period of absence is unlikely to exceed 13 weeks.

(11) This sub-paragraph applies to a person whose absence from the dwelling he normally occupies as his home is temporary and—

(a) he intends to return to occupy the dwelling as his home; and

(b) while the part of the dwelling which is normally occupied by him has not been let or, as the case may be, sub-let; and

(c) he is—

[F6 (i) detained in custody on remand pending trial or, as a condition of bail, required to reside—

(aa) in a dwelling, other than the dwelling he occupies as his home; or

(bb) in premises approved under [F7 section 13 of the Offender Management Act 2007],

or, detained pending sentence upon conviction, or]

(ii) resident in a hospital or similar institution as a patient, or

(iii) undergoing or, as the case may be, his partner or his dependent child is undergoing, in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, medical treatment, or medically approved convalescence, in accommodation other than residential accommodation, or

(iv) following, in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, a training course, or

(v) undertaking medically approved care of a person residing in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, or

(vi) undertaking the care of a child whose parent or guardian is temporarily absent from the dwelling normally occupied by that parent or guardian for the purpose of receiving medically approved care or medical treatment, or

(vii) a person who is, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, receiving medically approved care provided in accommodation other than residential accommodation, or

(viii) a [F8 full-time student] to whom sub-paragraph (3) or (6)(b) does not apply, or

(ix) a person other than a person to whom sub-paragraph (8) applies, who is receiving care provided in residential accommodation; or

(x) a person to whom sub-paragraph (6)(a) does not apply and who has left the dwelling he occupies as his home through fear of violence in that dwelling[F9 , or by a person] who was formerly a member of his family; and

(d) the period of his absence is unlikely to exceed a period of 52 weeks or, in exceptional circumstances, is unlikely substantially to exceed that period.

(12) A person to whom sub-paragraph (11) applies is to be treated as occupying the dwelling he normally occupies as his home during any period of absence not exceeding 52 weeks beginning with the first day of that absence.

(13) In this paragraph—

(a) “medically approved" means certified by a medical practitioner;

(b) “patient" means a person who is undergoing medical or other treatment as an inpatient in a hospital or similar institution;

[F10 (ba) “period of study” has the meaning given in regulation 61(1) (interpretation);]

[F11 (c) “residential accommodation” means accommodation which is a care home, an Abbeyfield Home or an an independent hospital;]

(d) “training course" means such a course of training or instruction provided wholly or partly by or on behalf of or in pursuance of arrangements made with, or approved by or on behalf of, [F12 Skills Development Scotland,] Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, a government department or the Secretary of State.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 3 substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Income Support and Claims and Payments) Amendment Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/1613), reg. 1(1), Sch. 1

F2 Words in Sch. 3 para. 3(3), (6)(b) substituted (31.7.2000) by The Social Security Amendment (Students) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/1981), regs. 1(1), 5(5), Sch.

F3 Words in Sch. 3 para. 3(6)(c) inserted (8.1.2007) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 5) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/3274), regs. 1, 2

F4 Sch. 3 para. 3(7)(c)(ii) substituted (2.10.2006) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2378), regs. 1(3), 5(8)(b)

F5 Words in Sch. 3 para. 3(7)(c)(ii) inserted (2.4.2013) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/443), regs. 1(1), 2(4)(a)

F6 Sch. 3 para. 3(11)(c)(i) substituted (4.4.2005) by The Social Security (Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, State Pension Credit and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/2327), regs. 1(1)(c), 5(a)

F7 Words in Sch. 3 para. 3(11)(c)(i)(bb) substituted (17.11.2008) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No.6) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/2767), regs. 1(2), 2(11)(a)

F8 Words in Sch. 3 para. 3(11)(c)(viii) substituted (31.7.2000) by The Social Security Amendment (Students) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/1981), regs. 1(1), 5(5), Sch.

F9 Words in Sch. 3 para. 3(11) substituted (12.12.1995) by The Social Security (Income Support, Claims and Payments and Adjudication) Amendment Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/2927), regs. 1(1), 5(3)

F10 Sch. 3 para. 3(13)(ba) inserted (26.10.2009) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2655), regs. 1(1), 2(15)(a)

F11 Sch. 3 para. 3(13)(c) substituted (24.10.2005) by The Social Security (Care Homes and Independent Hospitals) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2687), reg. 1, Sch. 1 para. 8(a)

F12 Words in Sch. 3 para. 3(13)(d) inserted (6.4.2009) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/583), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(d)