The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 3) Regulations 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1967), the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971), the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/1814) and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/207) (“the income-related benefits regulations”).

Regulation 2 amends the income disregard provisions of the income-related benefits regulations in relation to relevant payments so that relevant payments that are used for council tax or water charges will be disregarded to the extent of £20.

Regulation 3 provides an income disregard for payments which derive from Skipton Fund payments and it also excludes Skipton Fund payments from the notional capital rules (regulations 3(1)-(5)).

In relation to housing benefit and council tax benefit, regulations 3(6) and (7) provide that a person is not required to furnish any evidence and information about a Skipton Fund payment when making a claim or in connection with an award.

Regulation 4 introduces income and capital disregards for special guardianship payments.

The Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1967) are also further amended to—

• remove references to specific awarding bodies from the definition of “receiving advanced education” in regulation 12(2) (regulation 5(1));

• exclude lone parents, who participate in certain specified schemes, from the notional earnings rule (regulation 5(2)).

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the costs of business.