(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations further amend the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/1814), the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971), the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1967) and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/207) (“the income-related benefits Regulations”) in so far as they relate to students and sums to be disregarded in the calculation of their entitlement to benefit under the income-related benefits Regulations.
Regulation 1 comes into force on 1st August 2004. In respect of a person whose period of study begins on or after 1st August 2004 but before 1st September 2004 regulations 2 to 7 come into force on the day the period of study begins. In all other cases regulations 2 to 7 come into force on 1st September 2004.
The income-related benefits Regulations are amended to increase the amounts of grant and loan income to be disregarded in respect of travel costs and the cost of books and equipment (regulation 2).
Regulation 3 amends the income-related benefits Regulations to disregard payments made to any student as part of his grant income in respect of child care costs of a child dependant.
Regulations 4 to 6 amend the income-related benefits Regulations to disregard from the calculation of income or capital certain payments made under certain legislation to a person taking part in secondary or further education.
The definitions of “course of advanced education” in the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 are amended in order to update the references there to certain Scottish educational qualifications (regulations 5 and 6).
Regulation 7 amends regulation 50 of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 to enable certain students to be eligible for housing benefit in respect of accommodation which they rent from their educational establishment.
A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the costs of business.