5.—(1) £20 is disregarded if the claimant or, if he has a partner, his partner—
(a)is in receipt of—
(i)long-term incapacity benefit under Section 30A of the Act F1;
(ii)severe disablement allowance under section 68 of the Act F2;
(iii)attendance allowance;
(iv)disability living allowance under sections 71 to 76 of the Act F3;
(v)any mobility supplement under article 26A of the Naval, Military and Air Forces etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 1983 F4 (including such a supplement by virtue of any other scheme or order) or under article 25A of the Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme 1983 F5; or
(vi)the disability element or the severe disability element of working tax credit under Schedule 2 to the Working Tax Credit Regulations F6; or
(b)is or are registered as blind in a register compiled by a local authority under section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948 F7 (welfare services) or, in Scotland, has been certified as blind and in consequence is registered as blind in a register maintained by or on behalf of a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 F8; or
(c)is, or is treated as, incapable of work in accordance with the provisions of, and regulations made under, Part 12A of the Act F9 (incapacity for work), and has been incapable, or has been treated as incapable, of work for a continuous period of not less than—
(i)in the case of a claimant who is terminally ill within the meaning of section 30B(4) of that Act F10, 196 days;
(ii)in any other case, 364 days.
(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), £20 is disregarded if the claimant or, if he has a partner, his partner has, within a period of 8 weeks ending on the day in respect of which the claimant or his partner attains the qualifying age for state pension credit, had an award of housing benefit or council tax benefit and—
(a)£20 was disregarded in respect of earnings taken into account in that award;
(b)the person whose earnings qualified for the disregard continues in employment after the termination of that award.
(3) The disregard of £20 specified in sub-paragraph (2) applies so long as there is no break, other than a break which does not exceed 8 weeks, in a person's entitlement to housing benefit or council tax benefit or in employment following the first day in respect of which that benefit is awarded.
(4) £20 is the maximum amount which may be disregarded under this paragraph, notwithstanding that, where the claimant has a partner, both the claimant and his partner satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.
Textual Amendments
F1Section 30A was inserted by Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994 (c. 18) and amended by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c. 30), section 64 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), section 254 and Schedule 24, paragraph 14.
F2Saved by S.I. 2000/2958, article 4.
F3Sections 71, 72 and 73 are amended by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c. 30), section 67.
F4S.I. 1983/883; as amended by S.I. 1983/1116, /1521, 1986/592, 1990/1308, 1991/766, 1992/710, 1995/766, 1997/286, and 2001/409.
F5S.I. 1983/686; amended by S.I. 1983/1164 and /1540 and 1986/628, 1990/1300, 1991/708, 1992/702, 1995/445, 1997/812 and 2001/420.
F6Schedule 2 was substituted by S.I. 2005/681.
F7 1948 c. 29; section 29 was amended by the National Assistance (Amendment) Act 1959 (c. 30), section 1(2); the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 (c. 61), sections 113 and 114 and Schedule 4; the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (c. 49), section 95(2) and Schedule 9, Part I; the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), sections 195(6), 272(1), Schedule 23 paragraph 2 and Schedule 30; the Employment and Training Act 1973 (c. 50), section 14(1) and Schedule 3 paragraph 3; the National Health Service Act 1977 (c. 49), section 129 and Schedule 15 paragraph 6; the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983 (c. 41), section 30 and Schedule 10 Part I; the Children Act 1989 (c. 41) section 108(5) and Schedule 13 paragraph 11(2) and the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19), section 44(7).
F8 1994 c. 39. Section 2 was amended by the Environment Act 1995 (c. 25), Schedule 22, paragraph 232(1).
F9Part 12A was inserted by the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994 (c. 18), section 5 and amended by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c. 30), section 61 and by the Social Security Act 1998 (c. 14), section 86(1) and Schedule 7, paragraphs 75 and 76.
F10Section 30B was inserted by the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994 (c. 18), section 2. and amended by the Pensions Act 1995 (c. 26), section 126 and Schedule 4, paragraph 18; the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c. 30), section 70 and Schedule 8, paragraph 22; the Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21), section 60, Schedule 6; and the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33) section 254 and Schedule 24, paragraph 13.