138.—(1) This regulation applies to payments from access funds that are not payments to which regulation 142(2) or (3) (income treated as capital) applies.
(2) A payment from access funds, other than a payment to which paragraph (3) applies, is to be disregarded as income.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4) and paragraph 39 of Schedule 8, any payments from access funds which are intended and used for food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel, rent for which housing benefit is payable or any housing costs to the extent that they are met under regulation 67(1)(c) or 68(1)(d) (housing costs), of a single claimant or, as the case may be, of the claimant's partner, and any payments from access funds which are used for any council tax or water charges for which that claimant or partner is liable is to be disregarded as income to the extent of £20 per week.
(4) Where a payment from access funds is made—
(a)on or after 1st September or the first day of the course, whichever first occurs, but before receipt of any student loan in respect of that year and that payment is intended for the purpose of bridging the period until receipt of the student loan; or
(b)before the first day of the course to a person in anticipation of that person becoming a student,
that payment is to be disregarded as income.