Housing Renovation etc. Grants (Reduction of Grant) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Regulation 45

16.  In regulation 45 (treatment of student loans)—

(a) for paragraph (1) substitute—

“(1) A student loan shall be treated as income.”;

(b) for paragraph (3) substitute the following paragraphs—

“(3) A student shall be treated as possessing a student loan in respect of an academic year where—

(a) a student loan has been made to him in respect of that year; or

(b) he could acquire such a loan in respect of that year by taking reasonable steps to do so.

(4) Where a student is treated as possessing a student loan under paragraph (3), the amount of the student loan to be taken into account as income shall be, subject to paragraph (5)—

(a) in the case of a student to whom a student loan is made in respect of an academic year, a sum equal to—

(i) the maximum student loan he is able to acquire in respect of that year by taking reasonable steps to do so; and

(ii) any contribution whether or not it has been paid;

(b) in the case of a student to whom a student loan is not made in respect of an academic year, the maximum student loan that would be made to the student if—

(i) he took all reasonable steps to obtain the maximum student loan he is able to acquire in respect of that year; and

(ii) no deduction in that loan was made by virtue of the application of a means test.

(5) There shall be deducted from the amount of a student’s loan income—

(a) the sum of £250 in respect of travel costs; and

(b) where no amount has been disregarded under regulation 42(2)(f), the sum of £303 towards the cost of books and equipment,

whether or not any such costs are incurred.”.