The Social Security (Lone Parents) (Amendment) Regulations 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1967), the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/207), the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971) and the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/1814).

In particular, these Regulations prescribe the circumstances in which the applicable amount of a claimant for council tax benefit, housing benefit, income support and income-based jobseeker’s allowance who is a lone parent, will include the lone parent rate of family premium (regulations 3, 8, 11 and 13).

These Regulations also make related amendments to those Regulations which—

• disregard certain sums in the calculation of a lone parent’s earnings (regulations 4, 9, 12 and 14);

• change the conditions of entitlement of lone parents to an extended payment of housing benefit and council tax benefit (regulations 5 and 10);

• in council tax benefit, provide that students who are lone parents are not excluded from entitlement to that benefit (regulation 2) and in housing benefit, provide that students who are lone parents are treated as liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling (regulation 6) and that certain lone parents are excluded from reductions in eligible rent (regulation 7).

The Report of the Social Security Advisory Committee dated 13th March 1997 on the proposals referred to them in respect of these Regulations, together with a statement showing the extent to which these Regulations give effect to the Recommendations of the Committee, and in so far as they do not give effect to them, the reasons why not, are contained in Command Paper Cm 3713, published by The Stationery Office Ltd.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.