Regulation 2 Applications under section 4 ... or 7 of the ActF2

Any person who applies for a maintenance assessment under section 4 or 7 of the Act shall do so on a form (a “maintenance application form”) provided by the Secretary of State.

Maintenance application forms provided by the Secretary of State F1... under paragraph (1) shall be supplied without charge by such persons as the Secretary of State appoints or authorises for that purpose.

A completed maintenance application form shall be given or sent to the Secretary of State.

Subject to paragraph (5), an application for a maintenance assessment under the Act shall be an effective application if it is made on a maintenance application form and that form has been completed in accordance with the Secretary of State’s instructions.

Where an application is not effective under the provisions of paragraph (4), the Secretary of State may—

and if a completed application form or, as the case may be, the additional information or evidence requested is received by the Secretary of State within 14 days of the date of his request, he shall treat the application as made on the date on which the earlier or earliest application would have been treated as made had it been effective under the provisions of paragraph (4).

Subject to paragraph (7), a person who has made an effective application may amend his application by notice in writing to the Secretary of State at any time before a maintenance assessment is made.

No amendment under paragraph (6) shall relate to any change of circumstances arising after the effective date of a maintenance assessment resulting from an effective application.