The Income Support (General) Regulations 1987

Earnings of employed earnersE+W+S

35.—(1) [F1Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3),] “earnings” means in the case of employment as an employed earner, any remuneration or profit derived from that employment and includes—

(a)any bonus or commission;

(b)any payment in lieu of remuneration except any periodic sum paid to a claimant on account of the termination of his employment by reason of redundancy;

(c)any payment in lieu of notice F2...;

(d)any holiday pay except any payable more than four weeks after the termination or interruption of employment but this exception shall not apply to a claimant to whom [F3section 23 of the Act (trade disputes) applies or in respect of whom section 20(3) of the Act (conditions of entitlement to income support) has effect as modified by section 23A(b) of the Act (effect of return to work).]

(e)any payment by way of a retainer;

(f)any payment made by the claimant's employer in respect of expenses not wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of the employment, including any payment made by the claimant's employer in respect of—

(i)travelling expenses incurred by the claimant between his home and place of employment;

(ii)expenses incurred by the claimant under arrangements made for the care of a member of his family owing to the claimant's absence from home;

(g)any award of compensation made under section 68(2) or 71(2)(a) of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 F4 (remedies for unfair dismissal and compensation);

(h)any such sum as is referred to in section 18(2) of the Social Security (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1977 F5 (certain sums to be earnings for social security purposes).

[F6(i)where—

(i)a payment of compensation is made in respect of employment which is not part-time employment and that payment is not less than the maximum weekly amount, the amount of the compensation less the deductible remainder, where that is applicable;

(ii)a payment of compensation is made in respect of employment which is part-time employment, the amount of the compensation.]

[F7(j)the amount of any payment by way of a non-cash voucher which has been taken into account in the computation of a person’s earnings in accordance with [F8Part 5 of Schedule 3 to the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001].]

[F9(1A) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(i)(i) the “deductible remainder”—

(a)applies in cases where dividing the amount of the compensation by the maximum weekly amount produces a whole number plus a fraction; and

(b)is equal to the difference between—

(i)the amount of the compensation; and

(ii)the product of the maximum weekly amount multiplied by the whole number.]

(2) “Earnings” shall not include—

(a)[F10subject to paragraph (2A),] any payment in kind;

(b)any remuneration paid by or on behalf of an employer to the claimant [F11in respect of a period throughout which the claimant is on maternity leave[F12, paternity leave or adoption leave] or is absent from work because he is ill];

(c)any payment in respect of expenses wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of the employment;

(d)any occupational pension.

[F13(e)any lump sum payment made under the Iron and Steel Re-adaptation Benefits Scheme]

[F14(2A) Paragraph (2)(a) shall not apply in respect of any non-cash voucher referred to in paragraph (1)(j).]

[F15(3) In this regulation—

(a)“compensation” means any payment made in respect of or on the termination of employment in a case where a person has not received or received only part of a payment in lieu of notice due or which would have been due to him had he not waived his right to receive it, other than—

(i)any payment specified in paragraph (1)(a) to (h);

(ii)any payment specified in paragraph (2)(a) to [F16(e)];

(iii)any redundancy payment within the meaning of section 81(1) of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978, and

(iv)any refund of contributions to which that person was entitled under an occupational pension scheme within the meaning of section 66(1) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975;

[F17(v) any compensation payable by virtue of section 173 or section 178(3) or (4) of the Education Reform Act 1988.]

(b)“maximum weekly amount” means the maximum weekly amount which, on the date on which the payment of compensation is made, is specified in paragraph 8(1)(c) of Schedule 14 to the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978;

(c)“part-time employment” means employment in which a person is not to be treated as engaged in remunerative work under regulation 5 or [F186(1)] [F19and (4)] (persons treated, or not treated, as engaged in remunerative work).]

Textual Amendments

F41978 c. 44; section 68(2) was amended by the Employment Act 1982 (c. 46) section 21 Schedule 3 paragraph 21;section 71(2) was amended by the Employment Act 1982 (c. 46) sections 5 and 21 Schedule 3 paragraph 22 and Schedule 4.

F51977 c. 5; section 18(2) was amended by section 159 Schedule 16 paragraph 29 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 (c. 44) and by section 86(2) of, and Schedule 10 Part IV paragraph 75 and Schedule 11 to, the Social Security Act 1986 (c. 50).

F7Reg. 35(1)(j) added (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security Amendment (Non-Cash Vouchers) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/1509), regs. 1(1), 2(5)(a)

F10Words in reg. 35(2)(a) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security Amendment (Non-Cash Vouchers) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/1509), regs. 1(1), 2(5)(b)

F11Words in reg. 35(2)(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), 12

F14Reg. 35(2A) added (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security Amendment (Non-Cash Vouchers) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/1509), regs. 1(1), 2(5)(c)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

Commencement Information

I1Reg. 35 in force at 11.4.1988, see reg. 1