The Education (Student Support) ( No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

Interpretation of Chapter 4 N.I.

43.—(1) In regulations 45 to 48—

(a) subject to sub-paragraph (n), “adult dependant” means, in relation to an eligible student, an adult person dependent on the student other than the student’s child, the student’s partner (including a spouse or civil partner from whom the Department considers the student is separated) or the student’s former partner;

(b) “child” in relation to an eligible student includes any child of the student’s partner who is dependent on the student and any child for whom the student has parental responsibility who is dependent on the student;

(c) “dependant” means, in relation to an eligible student, the student’s partner, the student’s dependent child or an adult dependant, who in each case is not an eligible student and does not hold a statutory award;

(d) “dependent” means wholly or mainly financially dependent;

(e) “dependent child” means, in relation to an eligible student, a child dependent on the student;

(f) “lone parent” means an eligible student who does not have a partner and who has a dependent child or dependent children;

(g) “net income” has the meaning given in paragraph (2);

[F1 (ga) “preceding financial year” means the financial year immediately preceding the relevant year;

(gb) “prior financial year” means the financial year immediately preceding the preceding financial year;

(gc) “relevant year” means the academic year of the course in respect of which the eligible student’s dependants’ income falls to be assessed;

(gd) “residual income” means taxable income after the application of paragraph (5) (in the case of an eligible student’s partner) or paragraph (6) (in the case of an eligible student’s adult dependants);

[F2 (ge) “taxable income” means, in respect of the prior financial year—

(i) the total income on which a person (“A”) is charged to income tax as determined at Step 1 of the calculation in section 23 of the Income Tax Act 2007, together with any payments and other benefits mentioned in section 401(1) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (ignoring section 401(2) of that Act), received or treated as received by A, to the extent that they are not a component of the total income on which A is charged to income tax;

(ii) A’s total income from all sources as determined for the purposes of the income tax legislation of [F3 a Member State] which applies to A’s income; or

[F4 (iii) where the legislation of—

(aa) the United Kingdom and one or more Member States; or

(bb) more than one Member State

applies to the period, A’s total income from all sources as determined for the purposes of the income tax legislation under which the Department considers that A’s total income in that period is greatest,]

except that no account is taken of income referred to in paragraph (1A) paid to another party;]]

(h) subject to sub-paragraphs (i), (j), (k), (l) and (m), “partner” means any of the following—

(i) the spouse of an eligible student;

(ii) the civil partner of an eligible student;

(iii) a person ordinarily living with an eligible student as if that person were the student’s spouse where an eligible student falls within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 5 and began the specified designated course on or after 1st September 2000;

(iv) a person ordinarily living with an eligible student as if that person were the student’s civil partner where an eligible student falls within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 5 and began the specified designated course on or after 1st September 2005;

(i) unless otherwise indicated, a person who would otherwise be a partner under sub-paragraph (h) is not to be treated as a partner if—

(i) in the opinion of the Department, that person and the eligible student are separated; or

(ii) the person is ordinarily living outside the United Kingdom and is not maintained by the eligible student;

(j) for the purposes of the definition of “adult dependant”, a person is to be treated as a partner if that person would be a partner under sub-paragraph (h) but for the fact that the eligible student with whom that person is ordinarily living does not fall within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 5;

(k) for the purposes of the definitions of “child” and “lone parent”, a person is to be treated as a partner if that person would be a partner under sub-paragraph (h) but for the date on which the eligible student began the specified designated course or the fact that the eligible student with whom that person is ordinarily living does not fall within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 5;

(l) for the purposes of regulation 46—

(i) sub-paragraph (i) does not apply; and

(ii) a person is to be treated as a partner if that person would be a partner under sub-paragraph (h) but for the fact that the eligible student with whom that person is ordinarily living does not fall within paragraph (2)(1)(a) of Schedule 5;

(m) for the purposes of determining whether a person is the former partner of an eligible student’s partner, “partner” in relation to an eligible student’s partner means—

(i) the spouse of an eligible student’s partner;

(ii) the civil partner of an eligible student’s partner;

(iii) where the eligible student began the specified designated course on or after 1st September 2000, a person (“A”) ordinarily living with an eligible student’s partner (“B”) as if A were B’s spouse;

(iv) where the eligible student began the specified designated course on or after 1st September 2005, a person “A” ordinarily living with an eligible student’s partner “B” as if A were B’s civil partner;

(n) subject to sub-paragraph (o), for the purposes of the definitions of “adult dependant” and “dependent child”, the Department may treat an adult person or child as dependent on an eligible student if the Department is satisfied that the adult person or child—

(i) is not dependent on—

(aa) the eligible student; or

(bb) the student’s partner; but

(ii) is dependent on the eligible student and the student’s partner together;

(o) the Department must not treat an adult person (“A”) as dependent on an eligible student in accordance with sub-paragraph (n), if A is—

(i) the spouse or civil partner of the eligible student’s partner (including a spouse or civil partner from whom the Department considers the eligible student’s partner is separated); or

(ii) the former partner of the eligible student’s partner.

[F5 (1A) The income referred to in this paragraph is any benefits under a pension arrangement pursuant to an order made under Article 25 of the Matrimonial Causes (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 which includes provision made by virtue of Articles 27B(4) and 27E(3) of that Order or pension benefits under Part 1 of Schedule 5 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004 which includes provision made by virtue of Parts 6 and 7 of that Schedule.]

(2)  A dependant’s net income is the dependant’s income from all sources [F6 (for the relevant year for the purposes of regulation 45(2)(b) and for the prior financial year for the purposes of regulation 48(7))] reduced by the amount of income tax and social security contributions payable in respect of it but disregarding—

(a) any pension, allowance or other benefit paid by reason of a disability, incapacity or limited capability for work to which the dependant is subject;

(b) child benefit payable under Part IX of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(1);

(c) any financial support payable to the dependant by an adoption agency in accordance with regulations made under Article 59A of the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987(2);

(d) any guardian’s allowance to which the dependant is entitled under section 77 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(3);

(e) in the case of a dependant with whom a child being looked after by an authority is placed, any payment made to that dependant in pursuance of Article 27 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995(4);

(f) any payments made to the dependant under Article 15 of and Schedule 1 to the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 in respect of a person who is not the dependant’s child or any assistance given by an authority pursuant to Article 35 of that Order; F7 ...

(g) any child tax credit to which the dependant is entitled under Part I of the Tax Credits Act 2002(5) [F8 ; and]

[F9 (h) in the case of a dependant who is entitled to an award of universal credit—

(i) any amount that is included in the calculation of the award, under regulation 28(1) of the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (award to include [F10 LCWRA element]), in respect of the fact that the dependant has F11 ... limited capability for work and work-related activity;

(ii) any amount or additional amount that is included in the calculation of the award under regulation 25 (the child element) of those Regulations.]

(3) Where an eligible student or the student’s partner makes any recurrent payments which were previously made by the student in pursuance of an obligation incurred before the first academic year of the student’s course, the partner’s [F12 residual income is] reduced by—

(a) an amount equal to the payments in question for the academic year, if in the opinion of the Department the obligation had been reasonably incurred; or

(b) such lesser amount, if any, as the Department considers appropriate if, in the opinion of the Department, a lesser obligation could reasonably have been incurred.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (2), where the dependant is a dependent child and payments are made to the eligible student towards the child’s maintenance, those payments are to be treated as the child’s income.

[F13 (5) An eligible student’s partner’s residual income is determined in accordance with paragraph 6 of Schedule 5.

(6) An eligible student’s adult dependants’ residual income is determined in accordance with paragraph 5 of Schedule 5 (other than sub-paragraphs [F14 (3)(b) and (c), (3A)(b) and (c), (8), (9) and (10)] of paragraph 5), references to the parent being construed as references to the eligible student’s adult dependants.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 43(1)(ga)-(ge) and words inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending Rule) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/398), regs. 1(1), 6(a)

F2 Reg. 43(1)(ge) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending Rule) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (S.R. 2014/309), regs. 1(1), 3

F3 Words in reg. 43(1)(ge)(ii) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Education (Student Fees and Support) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (S.R. 2020/295), regs. 1(3), 6(a)

F4 Reg. 43(1)(ge)(iii) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Education (Student Fees and Support) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (S.R. 2020/295), regs. 1(3), 6(b)

F5 Reg. 43(1A) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending Rule) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/398), regs. 1(1), 6(b)

F6 Words in reg. 43(2) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending Rule) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/398), regs. 1(1), 6(c)(ii)

F7 Word in reg. 43(2)(f) omitted (coming into operation in accordance with reg. 1(1) of the amending Rule) by virtue of The Universal Credit (Consequential, Supplementary, Incidental and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/236), regs. 1(1), 45(3)(a)

F8 Word in reg. 43(2)(g) substituted (coming into operation in accordance with reg. 1(1) of the amending Rule) by The Universal Credit (Consequential, Supplementary, Incidental and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/236), regs. 1(1), 45(3)(b)

F9 Reg. 43(2)(h) inserted (coming into operation in accordance with reg. 1(1) of the amending Rule) by The Universal Credit (Consequential, Supplementary, Incidental and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/236), regs. 1(1), 45(3)(c)

F10 Words in reg. 43(2)(h)(i) substituted (coming into operation in accordance with reg. 1(3) of the amending Rule) by The Universal Credit (Miscellaneous Amendments and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (S.R. 2017/146), reg. 1(3), Sch. 1 para. 7 (with Sch. 2)

F11 Words in reg. 43(2)(h)(i) omitted (coming into operation in accordance with reg. 1(3) of the amending Rule) by virtue of The Universal Credit (Miscellaneous Amendments and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (S.R. 2017/146), reg. 1(3), Sch. 1 para. 7 (with Sch. 2)

F12 Words in reg. 43(3) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending Rule) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/398), regs. 1(1), 6(d)

F13 Reg. 43(5)(6) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending Rule) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/398), regs. 1(1), 6(e)

F14 Words in reg. 43(6) substituted (4.6.2020) by The Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (S.R. 2020/79), regs. 1(1), 4

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 43 in operation at 17.12.2009, see reg. 1(1)

(1)

1992 c. 7

(2)

S.I. 1987/2203 (N.I. 22); Article 59A was inserted by paragraph 164 of Schedule 9 to the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/755) (N.I.2)

(3)

Section 77 was amended by Schedule 6 to the Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21), paragraph 88 of Schedule 24 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33) and paragraph 30 of Schedule 1 to the Child Benefit Act 2005 (c. 6)

(4)

S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2)

(5)

2002 c. 21; section 3 was amended by the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c.33), Schedule 24 and there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations