The Social Security (Treatment of Postgraduate Master’s Degree Loans and Special Support Loans) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

Amendment of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987

2.—(1) The Income Support (General) Regulations 1987(1) are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 61(1) (students: interpretation), after the definition of “periods of experience” insert—

““postgraduate master’s degree loan” means a loan which a student is eligible to receive under the Education (Postgraduate Master’s Degree Loans) Regulations 2016(2);”.

(3) In regulation 62(2A) (calculation of grant income)—

(a) after “student loan” insert “or a postgraduate master’s degree loan”;

(b) for “such a loan” substitute “a student loan or a postgraduate master’s degree loan”.

(4) In regulation 66A (treatment of student loans)—

(a) at the end of the heading add “and postgraduate master’s degree loans”;

(b) in paragraph (1), after “A student loan” insert “and a postgraduate master’s degree loan”;

(c) in paragraph (3)—

(i) after “a student loan” in both places, insert “or a postgraduate master’s degree loan”;

(ii) in sub-paragraph (b), for “such a loan” substitute “a student loan or a postgraduate master’s degree loan”.

(d) after paragraph (4) insert—

“(4A) Where a student is treated as possessing a postgraduate master’s degree loan under paragraph (3) in respect of an academic year, the amount of that loan to be taken into account as income shall be, subject to paragraph (5), a sum equal to 30 per cent. of the maximum postgraduate master’s degree loan the student is able to acquire in respect of that academic year by taking reasonable steps to do so.”;

(e) in paragraph (5), after “paragraph (4)” insert “or (4A)”.

(5) After regulation 66C(3) insert—

“Treatment of special support loans

66D.   A special support loan within the meaning of regulation 68 of the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011(4) is to be disregarded as income.”.

(6) In regulation 67A(5) (further disregard of student’s income), for “or student loan” substitute “, student loan or postgraduate master’s degree loan”.

(1)

S.I.1987/1967. Relevant amending instruments are S.I.1990/1549, 1998/563, 1999/1935, 2000/1922, 2001/2319, 2002/1589, 2006/1752, 2008/2767 and 2009/1575.

(2)

S.I.2016/606.

(3)

Regulation 66C is inserted by S.I.2006/1752.

(4)

S.I.2011/1986. Relevant amending instrument is S.I.2015/1951.

(5)

Regulation 67A is inserted by S.I.1998/563.