“adult dependant” means, in relation to an eligible student, an adult person dependent on the student other than his child, his partner (including a spouse or civil partner from whom the Secretary of State considers the student is separated) or his former partner;

“child” in relation to an eligible student includes any child of his partner who is dependent on him and any child for whom he has parental responsibility who is dependent on him;

“dependant” means, in relation to an eligible student, his partner, his dependent child or an adult dependant, who in each case is not an eligible student and does not hold a statutory award;

“dependent” means wholly or mainly financially dependent;

“lone parent” means an eligible student who does not have a partner and who has a dependent child or dependent children;

“net income” has the meaning given in paragraph (2);

for the purposes of the definition of “adult dependant”, a person is to be treated as a partner if he would be a partner under sub-paragraph (g) but for the fact that the eligible student with whom he is ordinarily living does not fall within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 4;

for the purposes of the definitions of “child” and “lone parent”, a person is to be treated as a partner if he would be a partner under sub-paragraph (g) but for the date on which the eligible student began the specified designated course or the fact that the eligible student with whom he is ordinarily living does not fall within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 4.

any pension, allowance or other benefit paid by reason of a disability or incapacity to which the dependant is subject;

child benefit payable under Part IX of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 199249;

any financial support payable to the dependant by a local authority in accordance with regulations made under sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Adoption and Children Act 200250;

any guardian’s allowance to which the dependant is entitled under section 77 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992;

in the case of a dependant with whom a child being looked after by a local authority is boarded out, any payment made to that dependant in pursuance of section 23 of the Children Act 198951;

any payments made to the dependant under section 15 of and Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 in respect of a person who is not the dependant’s child or any assistance given by a local authority pursuant to section 24 of that Act; and

any child tax credit to which the dependant is entitled under Part I of the Tax Credits Act 2002.

an amount equal to the payments in question for the academic year, if in the opinion of the Secretary of State the obligation had been reasonably incurred; or

such lesser amount, if any, as the Secretary of State considers appropriate if, in her opinion, a lesser obligation could reasonably have been incurred.