The Income Support (General) Regulations 1987

Applicable amountsE+W+S

17.—(1) F1F1Subject to regulations [F218 to 22A] ... (applicable amounts in other cases and reductions in applicable amounts ...), a claimant's weekly applicable amount shall be the aggregate of such of the following amounts as may apply in his case:

(a)an amount in respect of himself or, if he is a member of a couple, an amount in respect of both of them, determined in accordance with paragraph 1 (1), (2) or (3), as the case may be, of Schedule 2;

(b)[F3an amount determined in accordance with paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 in respect of any child or young person who is a member of his family, except a child or young person whose capital, if calculated in accordance with Part V in like manner as for the claimant, [F4except as provided in regulation 44(1) (modifications in respect of children and young persons)], would exceed £3,000;]

F5(bb). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c)[F3if he is a member of a family of which at least one member is a child or young person, an amount determined in accordance with Part II of Schedule 2 (family premium);]

(d)the amount of any premiums which may be applicable to him, determined in accordance with Parts III and IV of Schedule 2 (premiums);

(e)any amounts determined in accordance with Schedule 3 (housing costs) which may be applicable to him in respect of [F6housing costs as prescribed] in that Schedule.

[F7(f)any amounts determined in accordance with [F8paragraphs (2) to (7)].]

F9(g). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F10(2) Where —

(a)a claimant has throughout the period beginning on 11th April 1988 and ending immediately before the coming into force of paragraphs 25 to 28 of Schedule 10 (capital to be disregarded) failed to satisfy the capital condition in section 22(6) of the Act (no entitlement to benefit if capital exceeds prescribed amount); and

(b)as a consequence he is not entitled to any transitional addition, special transitional addition or personal expenses addition under Part II of the Transitional Regulations; and

(c)had those paragraphs been in force on 11th April 1988 he would have satisfied that condition and been entitled to any such addition,

the amount applicable under this paragraph shall, subject to paragraph (3), be equal to the amount of any transitional addition, special transitional addition and personal expenses addition to which he would be entitled under Part II of the Transitional Regulations had he been entitled to any such addition in the week commencing 11th April 1988.]

[F10(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), in determining a claimant’s total benefit income in his second benefit week for the purpose of calculating the amount of any transitional addition to which he would have been entitled, no account shall be taken of any payment referred to in paragraph (1)(j) of regulation 9 of the Transitional Regulations (total benefit income) which is made in respect of that week to compensate for the loss of entitlement to income support.]

[F10(4) Subject to paragraph (6), where —

(a)the claimant or any member of his family was temporarily absent from his home in the claimant’s first or second benefit week (or both), because he was —

(i)a patient; or

(ii)outside Great Britain for the purpose of receiving treatment for any disease or bodily or mental disablement or for the purpose of accompanying a child or young person who is outside Great Britain for the purpose of receiving such treatment; or

[F11(iii)in a care home, an Abbeyfield Home or an independent hospital; or]

(iv)in the care of a local authority under a relevant enactment; or

(v)staying with a person who was contributing to his maintenance; and

(b)as a result —

(i)in the claimant’s first benefit week his requirements for the purpose of calculating his entitlement to supplementary benefit were increased or reduced or he was not entitled to that benefit; or

(ii)in the claimant’s second benefit week his applicable amount was increased or reduced or he was not entitled to income support; and

(c)the period during which his requirements were, or his applicable amount was, increased or reduced, or he was not entitled to benefit, or any one or more of those circumstances existed, did not exceed 8 weeks,

the amount applicable under this paragraph shall be equal to the amount determined under paragraph (5).]

[F10(5) The amount for the purposes of paragraph (4) shall be an amount equal to the difference between —

(a)the amount that his total benefit income in his first benefit week would have been had he been entitled in respect of that week to supplementary benefit calculated on the basis that he or any member of his family had not been absent from the home; and, if less,

(b)the amount of his total benefit income in the first complete week after the period of temporary absence ends; but for the purpose of calculating his total benefit income in that week —

(i)no account shall be taken of any payment referred to in paragraph (1)(j) of regulation 9 of the Transitional Regulations which is made in respect of that week to compensate for the loss (in whole or in part) of entitlement to income support; and

(ii)if the period of temporary absence ends after the coming into force of paragraph (4), the amount of income support to be taken into account shall, notwithstanding regulation 9(6) of the Transitional Regulations, be calculated as if that paragraph were not in force.]

[F10(6) The amount under paragraph (4) shall cease to be applicable to a claimant if he ceases to be entitled to income support for a period exceeding [F12the permitted period determined in accordance with regulation 3A (permitted period)].]

[F13(6A) For the purposes of paragraph (6), where a claimant has ceased to be entitled to income support because he or his partner is participating in arrangements for training made under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 [F14or section 2 of the Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990] or attending a course at an employment rehabilitation centre established under that section [F15of the 1973 Act], he shall be treated as if he had been entitled to income support for the period during which he or his partner is participating in such arrangements or attending such a course.]

[F10(7) In this Regulation —

“first benefit week” and “second benefit week” have the meanings given to those expressions in regulations 2(1) of the Transitional Regulations and shall also include the week which would have been the claimant’s “first benefit week” or, as the case may be, “second benefit week” had he been entitled to supplementary benefit or, as the case may be, income support in that week;

“total benefit income” has, subject to paragraphs (3) and (5)(b), the same meaning as in regulation 9 of the Transitional Regulations;

“Transitional Regulations” means the Income Support (Transitional) Regulations 1987.]

Textual Amendments

F2Words in reg. 17(1) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Income Support (General) (Jobseeker’s Allowance Consequential Amendments) Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/206), regs. 1(1), 9

F3Reg. 17(1)(b)(c) omitted (for specified purposes and with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Social Security (Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/455), Sch. 1 para. 2(a)

F4Words in reg. 17(1)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Income-related Benefits Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/2119), regs. 1(1)(a), 7

F6Words in reg. 17(1)(e) substituted (with effect in accordance with regs.19 - 21 of the amending S.I.) by The Loans for Mortgage Interest Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/725), reg. 1(2)(a), Sch. 5 para. 2(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2Reg. 17(1)(b): sum confirmed (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(3)(i) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2023 (S.I. 2023/316), arts. 1(3)(i), 21(2)(a)

C3Reg. 17(1)(b): sum confirmed (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(3)(h) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/242), arts. 1(3)(h), 20(2)(a)

Commencement Information

I1Reg. 17 in force at 11.4.1988, see reg. 1