The Housing Benefit (Community Charge Rebates) (Scotland) Regulations 1988

Notional income

25.—(1) A claimant shall be treated as possessing income of which he has deprived himself for the purpose of securing entitlement to housing benefit or increasing the amount of that benefit.

(2) Except in the case of a discretionary trust or a trust derived from a payment made in consequence of a personal injury, any income which would become available to the claimant upon application being made, but which has not been acquired by him, shall be treated as possessed by the claimant but only from the date on which it could be expected to be acquired were an application made.

(3) Any payment of income, other than a payment of income made under the Macfarlane Trust or the Independent Living Fund, made–

(a) to a third party in respect of a single claimant or in respect of a member of the family (but not a member of the third party’s family) shall be treated as possessed by that single claimant or by that member to the extent that it is used for the food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel, or eligible rent to which regulation 10 of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 refers(1), of that single claimant or, as the case may be, of any member of that family or is used for any personal community charge or collective community charge contribution for which that claimant or member is liable;

(b) to a single claimant or a member of the family in respect of a third party (but not in respect of another member of that family) shall be treated as possessed by that single claimant or, as the case may be, member of the family to the extent that it is kept or used by him or used by or on behalf of any member of the family.

(4) Where a claimant is in receipt of any benefit (other than housing benefit) under the benefit Acts and the rate of that benefit is altered with effect from a date on or after 1st April in any year but not more than 14 days thereafter, the appropriate authority shall treat the claimant as possessing such benefit at the altered rate from the first Monday in April in that year to the date on which the altered rate is to take effect.

(5) Where–

(a) a claimant performs a service for another person; and

(b) that person makes no payment of earnings or pays less than that paid for a comparable employment in the area; and

(c) the appropriate authority is not satisfied that the means of that person are insufficient for him to pay or to pay more for the service,

the appropriate authority shall treat the claimant as possessing such earnings (if any) as is reasonable for that employment; but this paragraph shall not apply to a claimant who is engaged by a charitable or voluntary body or is a volunteer if the appropriate authority is satisfied that it is reasonable for him to provide his services free of charge.

(6) Where a claimant is treated as possessing any income under any of paragraphs (1) to (4) the foregoing provisions of this Part shall apply for the purposes of calculating the amount of that income as if a payment had actually been made and as if it were actual income which he does possess.

(7) Where a claimant is treated as possessing any earnings under paragraph (5) the foregoing provisions of this Part shall apply for the purposes of calculating the amount of those earnings as if a payment had actually been made and as if they were actual earnings which he does possess except that paragraph (3) of regulation 19 (calculation of net earnings of employed earners) shall not apply and his net earnings shall be calculated by taking into account those earnings which he is treated as possessing, less–

(a) an amount in respect of income tax equivalent to an amount calculated by applying to those earnings the basic rate of tax in the year of assessment in which the claim was made less only the personal relief to which the claimant is entitled under sections 257(1), (6) and (7) and 259(1)(a) and (2) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 (personal relief ) as is appropriate to his circumstances; but, if the assessment period is less than a year the amount of the personal relief deductible under this sub-paragraph shall be calculated on a pro-rata basis;

(b) an amount in respect of primary Class 1 contributions payable under the Social Security Act in respect of those earnings; and

(c) one-half of any sum payable by the claimant by way of a contribution towards an occupational or personal pension scheme.

(8) In paragraph (3) the expression “ordinary clothing or footwear” means clothing or footwear for normal daily use, but does not include school uniforms, or clothing or footwear used solely for sporting activities.

(1)

S.I. 1987/1971.