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

Amendment of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006

4.—(1) The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006(1) are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 53(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;”.

(3) In regulation 59(3) (calculation of grant income)—

(a) after “a 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 64 (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.”.

(5) After regulation 64A(2) insert—

“Treatment of special support loans

64B.   A special support loan within the meaning of regulation 68 of the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 is to be disregarded as income.”.

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

(1)

S.I.2006/213. Relevant amending instrument is S.I.2006/1752.

(2)

Regulation 64A is inserted by S.I. 2006/1752.