59.—(1) A current system student qualifies in accordance with this regulation for a special support grant in connection with the student’s attendance on a designated course to defray the costs of books, equipment, travel or childcare incurred for the purpose of attending that course.
(2) A current system student qualifies for a special support grant if the student—
(a)falls within a prescribed category of person for the purposes of section 123(1)(e) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act (Northern Ireland) 1992(1); or
(b)is treated as being liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling prescribed by regulations made under section 129(2) of that Act(2).
(3) If a current system student does not qualify for a fee loan [F1or relevant institution charge loan] in respect of an academic year of the designated course, the student cannot qualify for a special support grant for that year unless the reason that the student does not qualify for a fee loan [F1or relevant institution charge loan] is that—
(a)the year is an Erasmus year [F2in accordance with regulation 20(3)]; or
(b)the designated course is an old flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.
[F3(4) Subject to [F4paragraph] (5), a special support grant is payable in respect of the four quarters of the academic year.
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), where one of the events listed in regulation 18(a), (b), (c), (e), (f), (g) or (h) occurs in the course of an academic year, a student may qualify for a special support grant in respect of such quarters as begin after the relevant event occurs.
(6) Where the state of which the student is a national accedes to the EU the student may qualify for the special support grant only if the student has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands throughout the three year period immediately preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course.]
Textual Amendments
F1Words in reg. 59(3) inserted (6.6.2013 with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. 2013/128), regs. 1(1), 11
F2Words in reg. 59(3)(a) 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) 2013 (S.R. 2013/223), regs. 1(1), 7(a)
F3Reg. 59(4)-(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), 13
F4Word in reg. 59(4) 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) 2013 (S.R. 2013/223), regs. 1(1), 7(b)
Commencement Information
I1Reg. 59 in operation at 17.12.2009, see reg. 1(1)
1992 c. 7; section 123(1)(e) was inserted by paragraph 13(5) of Schedule 2 to the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15)) and amended by Schedule 3 to, the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14N.I.)); The relevant provisions is regulation 4ZA and Schedule 1B, as amended, of the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (S.R. 1987 No. 459). Regulation 4ZA was inserted by regulation 4 of S.R. 1996 No. 199 ; relevant amending Rules are the Schedule to S.R. 2000 No. 241, regulation 5(3) of S.R. 2000 No. 71 and paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to S.R. 2005 No. 319 (c.23)
Section 129(2) was amended by Article 8 (2) of the Housing Support Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2002, S.I. 2002/3154 (N.I. 8). The relevant regulation is regulation 53 of the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006 No. 405)