The Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006

PART 1General

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006.

(2) These Regulations are to be read, where appropriate, with the Consequential Provisions Regulations.

(3) Except as provided in Schedule 4 to the Consequential Provisions Regulations, these Regulations shall come into force on 6th March 2006.

(4) The regulations consolidated by these Regulations are revoked, in consequence of the consolidation, by the Consequential Provisions Regulations.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992;

“the 1973 Act” means the Employment and Training Act 1973 F1;

[F2“the 2000 Act” means the Electronic Communications Act 2000;]

[F3“Welfare Reform Act” means the Welfare Reform Act 2007;]

[F4“the 2012 Act” means the Welfare Reform Act 2012;]

“Abbeyfield Home” means an establishment run by the Abbeyfield Society including all bodies corporate or incorporate which are affiliated to that Society;

“adoption leave” means a period of absence from work on ordinary or additional adoption leave by virtue of section 75A or 75B of the Employment Rights Act 1996F5;

“the Administration Act” means the Social Security Administration Act 1992;

[F6“adult disability payment” has the meaning given in regulation 2 of the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022;]

[F7“amended determination” means a determination made in accordance with article 7A of the Rent Officers Order;]

“appropriate DWP office” means an office of the Department for Work and Pensions dealing with state pension credit or an office which is normally open to the public for the receipt of claims for income support[F8, a jobseeker’s allowance or an employment and support allowance];

[F9“approved blood scheme” means a scheme established or approved by the Secretary of State, or trust established with funds provided by the Secretary of State, for the purpose of providing compensation in respect of a person having been infected from contaminated blood products;]

[F10“armed forces independence payment’’ means armed forces independence payment under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011;]

“assessment period” means the period determined—

(a)

in relation to the earnings of a self-employed earner, in accordance with regulation 37 (calculation of earnings of self-employed earners) for the purpose of calculating the weekly earnings of the claimant; or

(b)

in relation to any other income, in accordance with regulation 33 (calculation of weekly income) for the purpose of calculating the weekly income of the claimant;

“attendance allowance” means—

(a)

an attendance allowance under Part 3 of the Act;

(b)

an increase of disablement pension under section 104 or 105 of the Act;

(c)

F11...

(d)

F11...

(e)

a payment by virtue of article 14, 15, 16, 43 or 44 of the Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme 1983 F12 or any analogous payment; or

(f)

any payment based on need for attendance which is paid as part of a war disablement pension;

[F13“basic rate”, where it relates to the rate of tax, has the same meaning as in the Income Tax Act 2007 (see section 989 of that Act);]

“the benefit Acts” means the Act, the Jobseekers Act[F14, the Welfare Reform Act][F15, Part 4 of the 2012 Act][F16, [F17the Pensions Act 2014,] the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011] and the State Pension Credit Act;

“benefit week” means a period of 7 consecutive days commencing upon a Monday and ending on a Sunday;

“board and lodging accommodation” means accommodation provided to a person or, if he is a member of a family, to him or any other member of his family, for a charge which is inclusive of the provision of that accommodation and at least some cooked or prepared meals which both are cooked or prepared (by a person other than the person to whom the accommodation is provided or a member of his family) and are consumed in that accommodation or associated premises;

[F7“broad rental market area” has the meaning specified in paragraph 4 of Schedule 3B to the Rent Officers Order;

“broad rental market area determination” means a determination made in accordance with article 4B(1A) of the Rent Officers Order;]

“care home” in England F18... has the meaning assigned to it by section 3 of the Care Standards Act 2000[F19, in Wales means a care home service within the meaning of Part 1 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 which is provided wholly or mainly to persons aged 18 or over] F20 and in Scotland means a care home service within the meaning assigned to it by [F21paragraph 2 of schedule 12 to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010] F22;

[F23“the Caxton Foundation” means the charitable trust of that name established on 28th March 2011 out of funds provided by the Secretary of State for the benefit of certain persons suffering from hepatitis C and other persons eligible for payment in accordance with its provisions;]

[F7“change of dwelling” means, for the purposes of regulations 13C and 14, a change of dwelling occupied by a claimant as his home during the award where the dwelling to which the claimant has moved is one in respect of which the authority may make a rent allowance;]

“child” means a person under the age of 16;

[F24“child abuse payment” means a payment from a scheme established or approved by the Secretary of State for the purpose of providing compensation in respect of historic institutional child abuse in the United Kingdom;]

[F25“child disability payment” has the meaning given in regulation 2 of the DACYP Regulations;]

“child tax credit” means a child tax credit under section 8 of the Tax Credits Act;

[F26“child who cannot share a bedroom” means a child—

(a)

[F27who is entitled to—

(i)

the care component of disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate prescribed in accordance with section 72(3) of the Act; or

(ii)

the care component of child disability payment at the highest or middle rate in accordance with regulation 11(5) of the DACYP Regulations; and]

(b)

who the relevant authority is satisfied is, by virtue of his or her disability, not reasonably able to share a bedroom with another child;]

“the Children Order” means the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995F28;

“claim” means a claim for housing benefit;

“claimant” means a person claiming housing benefit;

“close relative” means a parent, parent-in-law, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, step-parent, step-son, step-daughter, brother, sister, or if any of the preceding persons is one member of a couple, the other member of that couple;

[F29“concessionary payment” means a payment made under arrangements made by the Secretary of State with the consent of the Treasury which is charged to a Departmental Expenditure Vote to which payments of benefit or tax credits under the benefit Acts or the Tax Credits Act are charged;]

“the Consequential Provisions Regulations” means the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2006F30;

[F31“contributory employment and support allowance” means an allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act as amended by the provisions of Schedule 3, and Part 1 of Schedule 14, to the 2012 Act that remove references to an income-related allowance, and a contributory allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act as that Part has effect apart from those provisions;]

“co-ownership scheme” means a scheme under which the dwelling is let by a housing association and the tenant, or his personal representative, will, under the terms of the tenancy agreement or of the agreement under which he became a member of the association, be entitled, on his ceasing to be a member and subject to any conditions stated in either agreement, to a sum calculated by reference directly or indirectly to the value of the dwelling;

[F32“couple” means—

(a)

two people who are married to, or civil partners of, each other and are members of the same household; or

(b)

two people who are not married to, or civil partners of, each other but are living together [F33as if they were a married couple or civil partners];]

[F34“course of study” means any course of study, whether or not it is a sandwich course and whether or not a grant is made for undertaking or attending it;

“Crown tenant” means a person who occupies a dwelling under a tenancy or licence where the interest of the landlord belongs to Her Majesty in right of the Crown or to a government department or is held in trust for Her Majesty for the purposes of a government department, except (in the case of an interest belonging to Her Majesty in right of the Crown) where the interest is under the management of the Crown Estate Commissioners [F35or a relevant person];

[F36“the DACYP Regulations” means the Disability Assistance for Children and Young People (Scotland) Regulations 2021;]

“date of claim” means the date on which the claim is made, or treated as made, for the purposes of regulation 64 (time and manner in which claims are to be made);

“the Decisions and Appeals Regulations” means the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 2001F37;

“the designated authority” means any of the following—

(a)

the Secretary of State;

(b)

a person providing services to the Secretary of State;

(c)

a local authority;

(d)

a person providing services to, or authorised to exercise any function of, any such local authority;

“designated office” means the office designated by the relevant authority for the receipt of claims to housing benefit—

(a)

by notice upon or with a form approved by it for the purpose of claiming housing benefit; or

(b)

by reference upon or with such a form to some other document available from it and sent by electronic means or otherwise on application and without charge; or

(c)

by any combination of the provisions set out in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) above;

“disability living allowance” means a disability living allowance under section 71 of the Act;

“dwelling occupied as the home” means the dwelling, together with any garage, garden and outbuildings, normally occupied by the claimant as his home, including any premises not so occupied which it is impracticable or unreasonable to sell separately, in particular, in Scotland, any croft land on which the dwelling is situated;

“earnings” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 35 (earnings of employed earners) or, as the case may be, 38 (earnings of self-employed earners);

“the Eileen Trust” means the charitable trust of that name established on 29th March 1993 out of funds provided by the Secretary of State for the benefit of persons eligible for payment in accordance with its provisions;

[F38“electronic communication” has the same meaning as in section 15(1) of the 2000 Act;]

[F39“eligible rent” means as the case may require, an eligible rent determined in accordance with—

(a)

regulations 12B (eligible rent), 12C (eligible rent and maximum rent) or 12D (eligible rent and maximum rent ( LHA )); or

(b)

regulations 12 (rent) and 13 (restrictions on unreasonable payments) as set out in paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 to the Consequential Provisions Regulations in a case to which paragraph 4 of that Schedule applies;]

“employed earner” is to be construed in accordance with section 2(1)(a) of the Act and also includes a person who is in receipt of a payment which is payable under any enactment having effect in Northern Ireland and which corresponds to statutory sick pay or statutory maternity pay;

[F40“Employment and Support Allowance Regulations” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008;]

[F41“enactment” includes an enactment comprised in, or in an instrument made under, an Act of the Scottish Parliament [F42or the National Assembly for Wales];]

[F43“extended payment (qualifying contributory benefits)” means a payment of housing benefit payable pursuant to regulation 53 of these Regulations or regulation 73 of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006;

“extended payment period” means the period for which an extended payment is payable in accordance with regulation 53A of these Regulations or regulation 72A or 73A of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006;]

“family” has the meaning assigned to it by section 137(1) of the Act;

F44...

“the Fund” means moneys made available from time to time by the Secretary of State for the benefit of persons eligible for payment in accordance with the provisions of a scheme established by him on 24th April 1992 or, in Scotland, on 10th April 1992;

F45.........

[F46“the Graduated Retirement Benefit Regulations” means the Social Security (Graduated Retirement Benefit) Regulations 2005;]

[F47“Grenfell Tower payment” means a payment made to a person because that person was affected by the fire on 14th June 2017 at Grenfell Tower, or a payment to the personal representative of such a person—

(a)

from the £5 million fund announced on 16th June 2017 for the benefit of certain persons affected by the fire on 14th June 2017 at Grenfell Tower and known as the Grenfell Tower Residents’ Discretionary Fund;

(b)

by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; or

(c)

by a registered charity;]

“guarantee credit” is to be construed in accordance with sections 1 and 2 of the State Pension Credit Act;

“a guaranteed income payment” means a payment made under article 14(1)(b) or article 21(1)(a) of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2005F48;

“hostel” means a building—

(a)

in which there is provided for persons generally or for a class of persons, domestic accommodation, otherwise than in separate and self-contained premises, and either board or facilities for the preparation of food adequate to the needs of those persons, or both; and

(b)

which is—

(i)

managed or owned by a registered housing association; or

(ii)

operated other than on a commercial basis and in respect of which funds are provided wholly or in part by a government department or agency or a local authority; or

(iii)

managed by a voluntary organisation or charity and provides care, support or supervision with a view to assisting those persons to be rehabilitated or resettled within the community; and

(c)

which is not—

(i)

a care home;

(ii)

an independent hospital; or

(iii)

an Abbeyfield Home;

[F49“Housing Act functions” means functions under section 122 of the Housing Act 1996;]

[F50“housing association” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(1) of the Housing Associations Act 1985;]

“an income-based jobseeker's allowance” and “a joint-claim jobseeker's allowance” have the same meaning as they have in the Jobseekers Act by virtue of section 1(4) of that Act;

[F51“income-related employment and support allowance” means an income-related allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act;]

“Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987F52;

[F53“independent hospital”—

(a)

in England, means a hospital as defined by section 275 of the National Health Service Act 2006 that is not a health service hospital as defined by that section;

(b)

in Wales, has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000; and

(c)

[F54in Scotland, means an independent health care service as defined in section 10F(1)(a) and (b) of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978;]]

F55...

[F56“the Independent Living Fund (2006)” means the Trust of that name established by a deed dated 10th April 2006 and made between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the one part and Margaret Rosemary Cooper, Michael Beresford Boyall and Marie Theresa Martin of the other part;]

F57...

F58...

F59...

“invalid carriage or other vehicle” means a vehicle propelled by petrol engine or by electric power supplied for use on the road and to be controlled by the occupant;

“Jobseekers Act” means the Jobseekers Act 1995F60;

“Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996F61;

[F7“linked person” means—

(a)

any member of the claimant’s family;

(b)

if the claimant is a member of a polygamous marriage, any partners of his and any child or young person for whom he or a partner is responsible and who is a member of the same household; or

(c)

any relative of the claimant or his partner who occupies the same dwelling as the claimant, whether or not they reside with him, except for a relative who has a separate right of occupation of the dwelling which would enable them to continue to occupy it even if the claimant ceased his occupation of it;]

[F7 “local housing allowance” means an allowance determined in accordance with paragraph 2 of Schedule 3B to the Rent Officers Order;]

[F62“local welfare provision” means occasional financial or other assistance given by a local authority, the Scottish Ministers or the Welsh Ministers, or a person authorised to exercise any function of, or provide a service to, them, to or in respect of individuals for the purpose of—

(a)

meeting, or helping to meet, an immediate short term need—

(i)

arising out of an exceptional event, or exceptional circumstances; and

(ii)

that requires to be met in order to avoid a risk to the well-being of an individual; or

(b)

enabling individuals to establish or maintain a settled home, where those individuals have been or, without the assistance, might otherwise be—

(i)

in prison, hospital, a residential care establishment or other institution; or

(ii)

homeless or otherwise living an unsettled way of life;]

“the London Bombings Relief Charitable fund” means the company limited by guarantee (number 5505072) and registered charity of that name established on 11th July 2005 for the purpose of (amongst other things) relieving sickness, disability or financial need of victims (including families or dependants of victims) of the terrorist attacks carried out in London on 7th July 2005;

[F63“the London Emergencies Trust” means the company of that name (number 09928465) incorporated on 23rd December 2015 and the registered charity of that name (number 1172307) established on 28th March 2017;]

“lone parent” means a person who has no partner and who is responsible for and a member of the same household as a child or young person;

“long tenancy” means a tenancy granted for a term of years certain exceeding twenty one years, whether or not the tenancy is, or may become, terminable before the end of that term by notice given by or to the tenant or by re-entry, forfeiture (or, in Scotland, irritancy) or otherwise and includes a lease for a term fixed by law under a grant with a covenant or obligation for perpetual renewal unless it is a lease by sub-demise from one which is not a long tenancy;

F64......

“the Macfarlane (Special Payments) Trust” means the trust of that name, established on 29th January 1990 partly out of funds provided by the Secretary of State, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from haemophilia;

“the Macfarlane (Special Payments) (No. 2) Trust” means the trust of that name, established on 3rd May 1991 partly out of funds provided by the Secretary of State, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from haemophilia and other beneficiaries;

“the Macfarlane Trust” means the charitable trust, established partly out of funds provided by the Secretary of State to the Haemophilia Society, for the relief of poverty or distress among those suffering from haemophilia;

[F65“main phase employment and support allowance” means an employment and support allowance where the calculation of the amount payable in respect of the claimant includes a component under section 2(1)(b) or 4(2)(b) of the Welfare Reform Act [F66or the claimant is a member of the work-related activity group];]

“maternity leave” means a period during which a woman is absent from work because she is pregnant or has given birth to a child, and at the end of which she has a right to return to work either under the terms of her contract of employment or under Part 8 of the Employment Rights Act 1996F67;

[F68“maximum rent” means the amount to which the eligible rent is restricted in a case where regulation 13 applies;]

[F7 “maximum rent (LHA)” means the amount determined in accordance with regulation 13D;]

[F69“member of a couple who cannot share a bedroom” means a member of a couple—

(a)

who is in receipt of—

(i)

attendance allowance at the higher rate in accordance with section 65(3) of the Act;

(ii)

the care component of disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate prescribed in accordance with section 72(3) of the Act;

(iia)

[F70the care component of child disability payment at the highest or middle rate in accordance with regulation 11(5) of the DACYP Regulations;]

(iv)

the daily living component of personal independence payment in accordance with section 78 of the 2012 Act; F71...

(v)

armed forces independence payment; ...

(iva)

[F72the daily living component of adult disability payment at the standard or enhanced rate in accordance with regulation 5 of the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022; or]

(b)

whom the relevant authority is satisfied is, by virtue of his or her disability, not reasonably able to share a bedroom with the other member of the couple;]

[F73“member of the armed forces away on operations” means a member of the regular forces or the reserve forces (within the meaning of section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006) who is absent, while on operations, from the dwelling usually occupied as their home;]

[F74“member of the work-related activity group” means a [F75person] who has or is treated as having limited capability for work under either—

(a)

Part 5 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 other than by virtue of regulation 30 of those Regulations; or

(b)

Part 4 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013 other than by virtue of regulation 26 of those Regulations;]

[F76“MFET Limited” means the company limited by guarantee (number 7121661) of that name, established for the purpose in particular of making payments in accordance with arrangements made with the Secretary of State to persons who have acquired HIV as a result of treatment by the NHS with blood or blood products;]

[F77“mover” means a claimant who changes the dwelling occupied as the claimant’s home from a dwelling in the area of the appropriate authority to a dwelling in the area of a second authority;]

[F47“the National Emergencies Trust” means the registered charity of that name (number 1182809) established on 28th March 2019;]

“net earnings” means such earnings as are calculated in accordance with regulation 36 (calculation of net earnings of employed earners);

“net profit” means such profit as is calculated in accordance with regulation 39 (calculation of net profit of self-employed earners);

[F78“new dwelling” means, for the purposes of the definition of “second authority” and regulations 53C, 96 and 97, the dwelling to which a claimant has moved, or is about to move, which is or will be occupied as the claimant’s new home;]

“non-dependant” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 3;

[F79“non-dependant deduction” means a deduction that is to be made under regulation 55 (non-dependant deductions);]

“occupational pension” means any pension or other periodical payment under an occupational pension scheme but does not include any discretionary payment out of a fund established for relieving hardship in particular cases;

“owner” means—

(a)

in relation to a dwelling in England and Wales, the person who, otherwise than as a mortgagee in possession, is for the time being entitled to dispose of the fee simple, whether or not with the consent of other joint owners;

(b)

in relation to a dwelling in Scotland, the proprietor under udal tenure or the proprietor of the dominion utile or the tenant's or the lessee's interest in a long tenancy, a kindly tenancy, a lease registered or registerable under the Registration of Leases (Scotland) Act 1857 F80 or the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 F81 or a tenant-at-will as defined in section 20(8) of that Act of 1979;

[F82“parental bereavement leave” means leave under section 80EA of the Employment Rights Act 1996;]

“partner” means—

(a)

where a claimant is a member of a couple, the other member of that couple; or

(b)

where a claimant is polygamously married to two or more members of his household, any such member;

[F83“paternity leave” means a period of absence from work on F84... paternity leave by virtue of section 80A or 80B of the Employment Rights Act 1996F85...;]

“payment” includes part of a payment;

“pension fund holder” means with respect to a personal pension scheme or [F86an occupational pension scheme], the trustees, managers or scheme administrators, as the case may be, of the scheme F87... concerned;

“person affected” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 3 of the Decisions and Appeals Regulations;

“person on income support” means a person in receipt of income support;

“person on state pension credit” means a person in receipt of state pension credit;

[F88“person who requires overnight care” means a person (“P”)—

(a)

who—

(i)

is in receipt of attendance allowance;

(ii)

is in receipt of the care component of disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate prescribed in accordance with section 72(3) of the Act; F89...

(iiza)

[F90is in receipt of the care component of child disability payment at the highest or middle rate in accordance with regulation 11(5) of the DACYP Regulations;]

(iia)

[F91is in receipt of the daily living component of personal independence payment in accordance with section 78 of the 2012 Act; F92...]

(iiaa)

[F93is in receipt of the daily living component of adult disability payment at the standard or enhanced rate in accordance with regulation 5 of the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022.]

(iib)

[F94is in receipt of armed forces independence payment; or]

(iii)

[F95although not satisfying either paragraph (i), (ii), (iiza), (iia), (iiaa) or (iib) above has provided or, where P is a child, the claimant has provided the relevant authority with such certificates, documents, information or evidence as are sufficient to satisfy the authority that P requires overnight care; and]

(b)

whom the relevant authority is satisfied reasonably requires, and has in fact arranged, that one or more people who do not occupy as their home the dwelling to which the claim or award for housing benefit relates should—

(i)

be engaged in providing overnight care for P;

(ii)

regularly stay overnight at the dwelling for that purpose; and

(iii)

be provided with the use of a bedroom in that dwelling additional to those used by the persons who occupy the dwelling as their home,

[F96but, in a case where P is treated as occupying a dwelling which P does not actually occupy, sub-paragraphs (b)(ii) and (iii) are to be treated as satisfied where the relevant authority is satisfied that the dwelling contains such an additional bedroom and that P did or will reasonably so require and so arrange at such time as P actually occupied or occupies the dwelling;]]

[F4“personal independence payment” means personal independence payment under Part 4 of the 2012 Act;]

[F97“personal pension scheme” means—

(a)

a personal pension scheme as defined by section 1 of the Pension Schemes Act 1993;

(b)

an annuity contract or trust scheme approved under section 620 or 621 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 or a substituted contract within the meaning of section 622(3) of that Act which is treated as having become a registered pension scheme by virtue of paragraph 1(1)(f) of Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2004;

(c)

a personal pension scheme approved under Chapter 4 of Part 14 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 which is treated as having become a registered pension scheme by virtue of paragraph 1(1)(g) of Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2004;]

“policy of life insurance” means any instrument by which the payment of money is assured on death (except death by accident only) or the happening of any contingency dependent on human life, or any instrument evidencing a contract which is subject to payment of premiums for a term dependent on human life;

“polygamous marriage” means any marriage during the subsistence of which a party to it is married to more than one person and the ceremony of marriage took place under the law of a country which permits polygamy;

[F41“public authority” includes any person certain of whose functions are functions of a public nature;]

“qualifying age for state pension credit” means (in accordance with section 1(2)(b) and (6) of the State Pension Credit Act)—

(a)

in the case of a woman, pensionable age; or

(b)

in the case of a man, the age which is pensionable age in the case of a woman born on the same day as the man;

[F98“qualifying contributory benefit” means—

(a)

severe disablement allowance;

(b)

incapacity benefit;]

(c)

[F99contributory employment and support allowance;]

“qualifying course” means a qualifying course as defined for the purposes of Parts 2 and 4 of the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations;

[F100“qualifying income-related benefit” means—

(a)

income support;

(b)

income-based jobseeker’s allowance;]

(c)

[F101income-related employment and support allowance;]

[F102“qualifying parent or carer” means a person who has a bedroom in the dwelling they occupy as their home additional to those used by the persons who occupy the dwelling as their home and who—

(a)

has a child or qualifying young person placed with them as mentioned in regulation 21(3) who by virtue of that provision is not treated as occupying their dwelling; or

(b)

has been approved as a foster parent under regulation 27 of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 or regulation 28 of the Fostering Services (Wales) Regulations 2003 or as a kinship carer under regulation 10 or a foster carer under regulation 22 of the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 but does not have a child or qualifying young person placed with them and has not had a child or qualifying young person placed with them for a period which does not exceed 52 weeks;]

“qualifying person” means a person in respect of whom [F103a Grenfell Tower payment[F104, a child abuse payment or a Windrush payment] has been made or] payment has been made from the Fund, the Eileen Trust[F105, MFET Limited], the Skipton Fund[F106, the Caxton Foundation[F107, the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme[F108, an approved blood scheme] [F109, the London Emergencies Trust, the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund[F110, the National Emergencies Trust]]]] or the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund;

[F7“reckonable rent” means payments which a person is liable to make in respect of the dwelling which he occupies as his home, and which are eligible, or would, but for regulation 13, be eligible for housing benefit;]

[F111“registered housing association” means—

(a)

a private registered provider of social housing;

(b)

a housing association which is registered in a register maintained by the Welsh Ministers under Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Housing Act 1996 [F112or a registered social landlord within the meaning of Part 1 of that Act]; or

(c)

a housing association which is registered [F113in the register maintained by the Scottish Housing Regulator under section 20(1) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010][F114or a registered social landlord within the meaning of section 165 of that Act];]

“relative” means a close relative, grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece;

“relevant authority” means an authority administering housing benefit;

[F7“relevant information” means information or evidence forwarded to the relevant authority by an appropriate DWP office regarding a claim on which rent allowance may be awarded, which completes the transfer of all information or evidence held by the appropriate DWP office relating to that claim;]

[F115“relevant person”, in relation to any property, rights or interests to which section 90B(5) of the Scotland Act 1998 applies, means the person who manages that property or those rights or interests;]

“remunerative work” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 6 (remunerative work);

“rent” includes all those payments in respect of a dwelling specified in regulation 12(1);

[F116“Rent Officers Order” means the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 or, as the case may be, the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997;]

F117 ...

[F118“sandwich course” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 2(9) of the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2008, regulation 4(2) of the Education (Student Loans) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 or regulation 2(8) of the Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007, as the case may be;]

“savings credit” shall be construed in accordance with sections 1 and 3 of the State Pension Credit Act;

[F119“Scottish basic rate” means the rate of income tax of that name calculated in accordance with section 6A of the Income Tax Act 2007;

[F120“Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme” means the scheme of that name administered by the Common Services Agency (constituted by section 10 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978);]

“Scottish taxpayer” has the same meaning as in Chapter 2 of Part 4A of the Scotland Act 1998;]

[F121“second authority” means the authority to which a mover is liable to make payments for the new dwelling;]

“self-employed earner” is to be construed in accordance with section 2(1)(b) of the Act;

F122...

“shared ownership tenancy” means—

(a)

in relation to England and Wales, a [F123lease] granted on payment of a premium calculated by reference to a percentage of the value of the dwelling or the cost of providing it;

(b)

in relation to Scotland, an agreement by virtue of which the tenant of a dwelling of which he and the landlord are joint owners is the tenant in respect of the landlord's interest in the dwelling or by virtue of which the tenant has the right to purchase the dwelling or the whole or part of the landlord's interest therein;

[F124“shared parental leave” means leave under section 75E or 75G of the Employment Rights Act 1996;]

“single claimant” means a claimant who neither has a partner nor is a lone parent;

“the Skipton Fund” means the ex-gratia payment scheme administered by the Skipton Fund Limited, incorporated on 25th March 2004, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from hepatitis C and other persons eligible for payment in accordance with the scheme's provisions;

“sports award” means an award made by one of the Sports Councils named in section 23(2) of the National Lottery etc Act 1993 F125 out of sums allocated to it for distribution under that section;

F126...

“State Pension Credit Act” means the State Pension Credit Act 2002F127;

“student” means a person, other than a person in receipt of a training allowance, who is attending or undertaking—

(a)

a course of study at an educational establishment; or

(b)

a qualifying course;

“the Tax Credits Act” means the Tax Credits Act 2002 F128;

“tax year” means a period beginning with 6th April in one year and ending with 5th April in the next;

“training allowance” means an allowance (whether by way of periodical grants or otherwise) payable—

(a)

out of public funds by a Government department or by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, [F129Skills Development Scotland,] Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise, [F130the Young People’s Learning Agency for England]F131... or the [F132Welsh Ministers];

(b)

to a person for his maintenance or in respect of a member of his family; and

(c)

for the period, or part of the period, during which he is following a course of training or instruction provided by, or in pursuance of arrangements made with, that department or approved by that department in relation to him or so provided or approved by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, [F129Skills Development Scotland,] Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise or the National Assembly for Wales,

but it does not include an allowance paid by any Government department to or in respect of a person by reason of the fact that he is following a course of full-time education, other than under arrangements made under section 2 of the 1973 Act F133 or is training as a teacher;

[F134“universal credit” means universal credit under Part I of the 2012 Act;]

“voluntary organisation” means a body, other than a public or local authority, the activities of which are carried on otherwise than for profit;

F135 ...

[F136“war disablement pension” means any retired pay or pension or allowance payable in respect of disablement under an instrument specified in section 639(2) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003;

“war pension” means a war disablement pension, a war widow’s pension or a war widower’s pension;

“war widow’s pension” means any pension or allowance payable to a woman as a widow under an instrument specified in section 639(2) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 in respect of the death or disablement of any person;

“war widower’s pension” means any pension or allowance payable to a man as a widower or to a surviving civil partner under an instrument specified in section 639(2) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 in respect of the death or disablement of any person;]

“water charges” means—

(a)

as respects England and Wales, any water and sewerage charges under Chapter 1 of Part 5 of the Water Industry Act 1991F137;

(b)

as respects Scotland, any water and sewerage charges established by Scottish Water under a charges scheme made under section 29A of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002F138,

in so far as such charges are in respect of the dwelling which a person occupies as his home;

[F139“the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund” means the registered charity of that name (number 1173260) established on 30th May 2017;]

[F24“Windrush payment” means a payment made under the Windrush Compensation Scheme (Expenditure) Act 2020;]

“working tax credit” means a working tax credit under section 10 of the Tax Credits Act;

“Working Tax Credit Regulations” means the Working Tax Credit (Entitlement and Maximum Rate) Regulations 2002F140;

F141...

“young person” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 19(1).

(2) References in these Regulations to a person who is liable to make payments shall include references to a person who is treated as so liable under regulation 8 (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling).

(3) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person is on an income-based jobseeker's allowance on any day in respect of which an income-based jobseeker's allowance is payable to him and on any day—

(a) in respect of which he satisfies the conditions for entitlement to an income-based jobseeker's allowance but where the allowance is not paid in accordance with [F142regulation 27A of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations or] section 19 or 20A [F143 or regulations made under section 17A] of the Jobseekers Act F144 (circumstances in which a jobseeker's allowance is not payable); or

(b)which is a waiting day for the purposes of paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 to that Act and which falls immediately before a day in respect of which an income-based jobseeker's allowance is payable to him or would be payable to him but for [F145regulation 27A of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations or] section 19 or 20A [F146 or regulations made under section 17A] of that Act; or

(c)in respect of which he is a member of a joint-claim couple for the purposes of the Jobseekers Act and no joint-claim jobseeker's allowance is payable in respect of that couple as a consequence of either member of that couple being subject to sanctions for the purpose of section 20A of that Act; or

(d) in respect of which an income-based jobseeker's allowance or a joint-claim jobseeker's allowance would be payable but for a restriction imposed pursuant to F147... section [F1486B,] 7, 8 or 9 of the Social Security Fraud Act 2001 F149 (loss of benefit provisions).

[F150(3A) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person is on an income-related employment and support allowance on any day in respect of which an income-related employment and support allowance is payable to him and on any day—

(a) in respect of which he satisfies the conditions for entitlement to an income-related employment and support allowance but where the allowance is not paid in accordance with section 18 of the Welfare Reform Act (disqualification); or

(b)which is a waiting day for the purposes of paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to that Act and which falls immediately before a day in respect of which an income-related employment and support allowance is payable to him or would be payable to him but for section 18 of that Act.]

(4) For the purposes of these Regulations, the following shall be treated as included in a dwelling—

(a)subject to sub-paragraphs (b) to (d) any land (whether or not occupied by a structure) which is used for the purposes of occupying a dwelling as a home where either—

(i)the occupier of the dwelling acquired simultaneously the right to use the land and the right to occupy the dwelling, and, in the case of a person liable to pay rent for his dwelling, he could not have occupied that dwelling without also acquiring the right to use the land; or

(ii)the occupier of the dwelling has made or is making all reasonable efforts to terminate his liability to make payments in respect of the land;

(b)where the dwelling is a caravan or mobile home, such of the land on which it stands as is used for the purposes of the dwelling;

(c)where the dwelling is a houseboat, the land used for the purposes of mooring it;

(d) where in Scotland, the dwelling is situated on or pertains to a croft within the meaning of section 3(1) of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993F151, the croft land on which it is situated or to which it pertains.

(5)  In these Regulations references to any person in receipt of a guarantee credit, a savings credit or state pension credit includes a reference to a person who would be in receipt thereof but for regulation 13 of the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 F152 (small amounts of state pension credit).]

[F153(6) References in these Regulations to a claimant participating as a service user are to—

(a)a person who is being consulted by or on behalf of—

(i)a body which has a statutory duty to provide services in the field of health, social care or social housing; or

(ii)a body which conducts research or undertakes monitoring for the purpose of planning or improving such services,

in their capacity as a user, potential user, carer of a user or person otherwise affected by the provision of those services; or

[F154(ab)a person who is being consulted by or on behalf of—

(i)the Secretary of State in relation to any of the Secretary of State’s functions in the field of social security or child support or under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973; or

(ii)a body which conducts research or undertakes monitoring for the purpose of planning or improving such functions,

in their capacity as a person affected or potentially affected by the exercise of those functions or the carer of such a person;]

(b)the carer of a person consulted under [F155sub-paragraphs (a) or (ab)].]

[F156(7) For the purpose of these Regulations, reference to a member of a couple who can share a bedroom is to a member of a couple where the other member of the couple is a member of a couple who cannot share a bedroom.]

Textual Amendments

F5 1996 c. 18; sections 75A and 75B were inserted by section 3 of the Employment Act 2002 (c. 22).

F7Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(5)(6)(7) of the amending S.I.) by Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2869), regs. 1(3), 4(1)(f)

F12S.I. 1983/686; the relevant amending Instruments are S.I. 1983/1164, 1984/1675 and 2001/420.

F17Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(2)(b) of the amending S.I.) by The Pensions Act 2014 (Consequential, Supplementary and Incidental Amendments) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1985), arts. 1(2)(b), 29(2)

F39Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(5)(6)(7) of the amending S.I.) by Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2869), regs. 1(3), 4(1)(a)

F46Words in reg. 2 inserted by SI 2005/2677 reg. 11(2) (as amended) (6.4.2006) by The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/217), reg. 1(1), 2 (with Sch. 3, Sch. 4)

F50Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(5)(6)(7) of the amending S.I.) by Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2869), regs. 1(3), 4(1)(b)

F65Words in reg. 2(1) inserted by SI 2008/1082 reg. 29(2)(e) (as substituted) (27.10.2008) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/2428), regs. 1(2), 33(b)

F68Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(5)(6)(7) of the amending S.I.) by Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2869), regs. 1(3), 4(1)(c)

F76Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.4.2010 for specified purposes, 5.4.2010 in so far as not already in force) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/641), regs. 1(3)(b), 9(2)

F79Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(5)(6)(7) of the amending S.I.) by Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2869), regs. 1(3), 4(1)(d)

F83Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (1.4.2012 for specified purposes, 2.4.2012 in so far as not already in force) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/757), regs. 1(2), 8(2)

F105Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.4.2010 for specified purposes, 5.4.2010 in so far as not already in force) by The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/641), regs. 1(3)(b), 9(3)(a)

F116Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(5)(6)(7) of the amending S.I.) by Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2869), regs. 1(3), 4(1)(e)

F133 1973 c. 50; section 2 was amended by section 25(1) of the Employment Act 1988 (c. 19), by Part I of Schedule 7 to the Employment Act 1989 (c. 38) and by section 47(1) of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993(c. 19).

F1382002 asp 3; section 29A was inserted by the Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 (2005 asp 3).

F141Words in reg. 2(1) omitted (1.1.2012) by virtue of The Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1736), regs. 1, 3

F144Section 20A inserted by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c. 30), section 59 and Schedule 7, paragraph 13.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

Definition of non-dependant

3.—(1) In these Regulations, “non-dependant” means any person, except someone to whom paragraph (2) applies, who normally resides with a claimant or with whom a claimant normally resides.

(2) This paragraph applies to—

(a)any member of the claimant's family;

(b)if the claimant is polygamously married, any partner of his and any child or young person who is a member of his household and for whom he or one of his partners is responsible;

(c)a child or young person who is living with the claimant but who is not a member of his household by virtue of regulation 21 (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being a member of the same household);

(d)subject to paragraph (3), a person who jointly occupies the claimant's dwelling and is either a co-owner of that dwelling with the claimant or his partner (whether or not there are other co-owners) or is liable with the claimant or his partner to make payments in respect of his occupation of the dwelling;

(e)subject to paragraph (3)—

(i)any person who is liable to make payments on a commercial basis to the claimant or the claimant's partner in respect of the occupation of the dwelling;

(ii)any person to whom or to whose partner the claimant or the claimant's partner is liable to make payments on a commercial basis in respect of the occupation of the dwelling; or

(iii)any other member of the household of the person to whom or to whose partner the claimant or the claimant's partner is liable to make payments on a commercial basis in respect of the occupation of the dwelling;

(f)a person who lives with the claimant in order to care for him or a partner of his and who is engaged by a charitable or voluntary organisation which makes a charge to the claimant or his partner for the services provided by that person.

(3) Sub-paragraphs (d) and (e) of paragraph (2) shall not apply to any person who is treated as if he were not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling under paragraph (1) of regulation 9 (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling).

(4) For the purposes of this regulation and regulation 9 [F157and the definition of “linked person” in regulation 2] a person resides with another only if they share any accommodation except a bathroom, a lavatory or a communal area within the meaning prescribed in paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 but not if each person is separately liable to make payments in respect of his occupation of the dwelling to the landlord.

Textual Amendments

F157Words in reg. 3(4) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(5)(6)(7) of the amending S.I.) by Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2869), regs. 1(3), 4(2)

Cases in which section 1(1A) of the Administration Act is disapplied

4.  Section 1(1A) of the Administration Act (requirement to state national insurance number) shall not apply—

(a)to a claim for housing benefit where the person making the claim, or in respect of whom the claim is made, is liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling which is a hostel;

(b)to any child or young person in respect of whom housing benefit is claimed.

[F158(c)to a person who—

(i)is a person in respect of whom a claim for housing benefit is made;

(ii)is subject to immigration control within the meaning of section 115(9)(a) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;

(iii)is a person from abroad for the purposes of these Regulations as defined in regulation 10(2); and

(iv)has not previously been allocated a national insurance number.]

Textual Amendments

Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit

5.—(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), these Regulations apply to a person who has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit.

(2) These Regulations shall not apply in relation to any person if he, or if he has a partner, his partner, is a person [F159on universal credit,] on income support [F160, [F161on] an income-based jobseeker’s allowance or on an income-related employment and support allowance].

Textual Amendments

F161Word in reg. 5(2) inserted by SI 2008/1082 reg. 30 (as amended) (27.10.2008) by The Employment and Support Allowance (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/2428), regs. 1(2), 34

Remunerative work

6.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, a person shall be treated for the purposes of these Regulations as engaged in remunerative work if he is engaged, or, where his hours of work fluctuate, he is engaged on average, for not less than 16 hours a week, in work for which payment is made or which is done in expectation of payment.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), in determining the number of hours for which a person is engaged in work where his hours of work fluctuate, regard shall be had to the average of hours worked over—

(a)if there is a recognisable cycle of work, the period of one complete cycle (including, where the cycle involves periods in which the person does no work, those periods but disregarding any other absences);

(b)in any other case, the period of 5 weeks immediately prior to the date of claim, or such other length of time as may, in the particular case, enable the person's weekly average hours of work to be determined more accurately.

(3) Where, for the purposes of paragraph (2)(a), a person's recognisable cycle of work at a school, other educational establishment or other place of employment is one year and includes periods of school holidays or similar vacations during which he does not work, those periods and any other periods not forming part of such holidays or vacations during which he is not required to work shall be disregarded in establishing the average hours for which he is engaged in work.

(4) Where no recognisable cycle has been established in respect of a person's work, regard shall be had to the number of hours or, where those hours will fluctuate, the average of the hours, which he is expected to work in a week.

(5) A person shall be treated as engaged in remunerative work during any period for which he is absent from work referred to in paragraph (1) if the absence is either without good cause or by reason of a recognised, customary or other holiday.

(6) A person on income support[F162, an income-based jobseeker’s allowance or an income-related employment and support allowance] for more than 3 days in any benefit week shall be treated as not being in remunerative work in that week.

(7) A person shall not be treated as engaged in remunerative work on any day on which the person is on maternity leave, paternity leave[F163, adoption leave[F164, shared parental leave or parental bereavement leave]], or is absent from work because he is ill.

(8) A person shall not be treated as engaged in remunerative work on any day on which he is engaged in an activity in respect of which—

(a)a sports award has been made, or is to be made, to him; and

(b)no other payment is made or is expected to be made to him.

Textual Amendments