# The Loans for Mortgage Interest (Amendment) Regulations 2023, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Loans for Mortgage Interest Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/725) (“the 2017 Regulations”).
Regulation 2(2) reduces the length of the qualifying period for universal credit claimants from nine consecutive assessment periods to three consecutive assessment periods.
Regulation 2(3) and 2(5)(a) removes the condition that a universal credit claimant must not have any earnings in order to be eligible to receive loan payments.
Regulation 2(4) provides that a couple is not required to re-serve the qualifying period where one member of the couple is still a state pension credit claimant receiving loan payments when the joint entitlement to universal credit begins, and also where one member of the couple was formerly a state pension credit claimant receiving loan payments, provided their entitlement to universal credit begins within one month of the end of the entitlement to state pension credit. The former is included because termination of the state pension credit entitlement can take place after the joint entitlement to universal credit begins. Regulation 2(4) also operates to ensure that the qualifying period of three consecutive assessment periods applies for all other couples which do not fall within the two circumstances specified. Regulation 2(4)(c) inserts a definition of a couple for the purposes of regulation 8 of the 2017 Regulations.
Regulation 2(5)(b) inserts a new paragraph (8) into regulation 9 of the 2017 Regulations providing that, for claimants who return to universal credit within six months, and wish to start receiving loan payments, there is no requirement to serve a new qualifying period.
Regulation 2(5)(b) also substitutes a revised paragraph (7) of regulation 9 for the existing paragraph (7) with a view to ensuring that the wording of paragraph (7) is consistent with the wording of the new paragraph (8) of regulation 9.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary, or public sector is foreseen.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/226/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/loans-for-mortgage-interest-amendment-regulations-2023/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.