Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971), the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/1814) and the Housing Benefit (Supply of Information) Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/662).

The amendments are consequential on the coming into force of the Jobseekers Act 1995, which replaces income support for the unemployed and unemployment benefit with jobseeker’s allowance. The regulations replace references to unemployment benefit with references to a jobseeker’s allowance, and add references to a jobseeker’s allowance where the existing regulations refer to income support. They also provide that, in certain circumstances, days on which entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance does not arise in accordance with paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 to the Jobseekers Act 1995 (waiting days) or payment is not made in accordance with section 19 of that Act, are counted as days of payment of a jobseeker’s allowance.

These Regulations are made pursuant to section 40 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 and are made before the end of the period of six months beginning with the date that provision came into force. Accordingly they are exempted by section 173(5)(a) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 from reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee and have not been so referred.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on businesses.