40.—(1) For the purposes of regulation 31 (average weekly income other than earnings), the income of a claimant which does not consist of earnings to be taken into account shall, subject to paragraphs (2) to (7) be his gross income and any capital treated as income under regulation 41 (capital treated as income).
(2) There shall be disregarded from the calculation of a claimant's gross income under paragraph (1), any sum, where applicable, specified in Schedule 5.
F1(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F1(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(5) Where the payment of any benefit under the benefit Acts is subject to any deduction by way of recovery the amount to be taken into account under paragraph (1) shall be the gross amount payable.
[F3(5A) Where the claimant or, where the claimant is a member of a couple, his partner is receiving a contributory employment and support allowance and that benefit has been reduced under regulation 63 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations [F4or section 11J of the Welfare Reform Act] the amount of that benefit to be taken into account is the amount as if it had not been reduced.]
(6) Where an award of any working tax credit or child tax credit under the Tax Credits Act is subject to a deduction by way of recovery of an overpayment of working tax credit or child tax credit which arose in a previous tax year the amount to be taken into account under paragraph (1) shall be the amount of working tax credit or child tax credit awarded less the amount of that deduction.
(7) [F5Paragraphs (8) and (8A) apply] where—
(a)a relevant payment has been made to a person in an academic year; and
(b)that person abandons, or is dismissed from, his course of study before the payment to him of the final instalment of the relevant payment.
(8) [F6Where a relevant payment is made quarterly, the] amount of a relevant payment to be taken into account for the assessment period for the purposes of paragraph (1) in respect of a person to whom paragraph (7) applies, shall be calculated by applying the formula—
where—
A= the total amount of the relevant payment which that person would have received had he remained a student until the last day of the academic term in which he abandoned, or was dismissed from, his course, less any deduction under regulation 64(5);
B= the number of benefit weeks from the benefit week immediately following that which includes the first day of that academic year to the benefit week which includes the day on which the person abandoned, or was dismissed from, his course;
C= the weekly amount of the relevant payment, before the application of the £10 disregard, which would have been taken into account as income under regulation 64(2) had the person not abandoned or been dismissed from, his course and, in the case of a person who was not entitled to housing benefit immediately before he abandoned or was dismissed from his course, had that person, at that time, been entitled to housing benefit;
D= the number of benefit weeks in the assessment period.
[F7(8A) Where a relevant payment is made by two or more instalments in a quarter, the amount of a relevant payment to be taken into account for the assessment period for the purposes of paragraph (1) in respect of a person to whom paragraph (7) applies, shall be calculated by applying the formula in paragraph (8) but as if—
=
the total amount of relevant payments which that person received, or would have received, from the first day of the academic year to the day the person abandoned the course, or was dismissed from it, less any deduction under regulation 64(5).]
(9) [F8In this regulation]—
“academic year” and “student loan” shall have the same meanings as for the purposes of Part 7;
[F9“assessment period” means—
in a case where a relevant payment is made quarterly, the period beginning with the benefit week which includes the day on which the person abandoned, or was dismissed from, his course and ending with the benefit week which includes the last day of the last quarter for which an instalment of the relevant payment was payable to that person;
in a case where the relevant payment is made by two or more instalments in a quarter, the period beginning with the benefit week which includes the day on which the person abandoned, or was dismissed from, his course and ending with the benefit week which includes—
the day immediately before the day on which the next instalment of the relevant payment would have been due had the payments continued; or
the last day of the last quarter for which an instalment of the relevant payment was payable to that person,
whichever of those dates is earlier;]
[F10“quarter” in relation to an assessment period means a period in that year beginning on—
1st January and ending on 31st March;
1st April and ending on 30th June;
1st July and ending on 31st August; or
1st September and ending on 31st December;]
“relevant payment” means either a student loan or an amount intended for the maintenance of dependants referred to in regulation 59(7) or both.
(10) For the avoidance of doubt there shall be included as income to be taken into account under paragraph (1)—
(a)any payment to which regulation 35(2) (payments not earnings) applies; or
(b)in the case of a claimant who is receiving support under section 95 or 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act including support provided by virtue of regulations made under Schedule 9 to that Act, the amount of such support provided in respect of essential living needs of the claimant and his dependants (if any) as is specified in regulations made under paragraph 3 of Schedule 8 to the Immigration and Asylum Act.
Textual Amendments
F1Reg. 40(3)(4)(4A) omitted (3.7.2007) by virtue of The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (War Pension Disregards) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1619), regs. 1, 4(b)
F2Reg. 40(4A) inserted (20.11.2006) by The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2813), regs. 1, 2
F3Reg. 40(5A) inserted (27.10.2008) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1082), regs. 1, 15
F4Words in reg. 40(5A) inserted (29.4.2013) by The Universal Credit (Consequential, Supplementary, Incidental and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/630), regs. 1(2), 35(5)
F5Words in reg. 40(7) substituted (1.9.2008 for specified purposes) by The Social Security (Students and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1599), reg. 1(3)(a)(b), 5(2)(a)
F6Words in reg. 40(8) substituted (1.9.2008 for specified purposes) by The Social Security (Students and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1599), reg. 1(3)(a)(b), 5(2)(b)
F7Reg. 40(8A) inserted (1.9.2008 for specified purposes) by The Social Security (Students and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1599), reg. 1(3)(a)(b), 5(2)(c)
F8Words in reg. 40(9) substituted (1.9.2008 for specified purposes) by The Social Security (Students and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1599), reg. 1(3)(a)(b), 5(2)(d)(i)
F9Words in reg. 40(9) substituted (1.9.2008 for specified purposes) by The Social Security (Students and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1599), reg. 1(3)(a)(b), 5(2)(d)(ii)
F10Words in reg. 40(9) inserted (1.9.2008 for specified purposes) by The Social Security (Students and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1599), reg. 1(3)(a)(b), 5(2)(d)(iii)