{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-contributions-and-benefits-act-1992/section-137",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-contributions-and-benefits-act-1992/section-137.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1992/4",
  "legislation_title": "Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-contributions-and-benefits-act-1992",
  "path": "section/137",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "137",
  "heading": "Interpretation of Part VII and supplementary provisions.",
  "text": "(1) In this Part of this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—\n“billing authority” has the same meaning as in Part I of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;\n“child” means a person under the age of 16;\n“couple” means—\n(a)two people who are married to, or civil partners of, each other and are members of the same household; or\n(b)two people who are not married to, or civil partners of, each other but are living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners otherwise than in prescribed circumstances;\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n“dwelling” means any residential accommodation, whether or not consisting of the whole or part of a building and whether or not comprising separate and self-contained premises;\n“family” means—\n(a)a couple;\n(b)a couple and a member of the same household for whom one of them is or both are responsible and who is a child or a person of a prescribed description;\n(c)except in prescribed circumstances, a person who is not a member of a couple and a member of the same household for whom that person is responsible and who is a child or a person of a prescribed description;\n“income-based jobseeker’s allowance” has the same meaning as in the Jobseekers Act 1995;\n“industrial injuries scheme” means a scheme made under Schedule 8 to this Act or section 159 of the 1975 Act or under the Old Cases Act;\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n“local authority” in relation to Scotland means a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994;\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n“pensionable age” has the meaning given by the rules in paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 to the Pensions Act 1995 (c. 26);\n“prescribed”means specified in or determined in accordance with regulations;\n“the qualifying age for state pension credit” is (in accordance with section 1(2)(b) and (6) of the State Pension Credit Act 2002)—\n(a)in the case of a woman, pensionable age; or\n(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;\n“state pension credit” means state pension credit under the State Pension Credit Act 2002;\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n“war pension scheme” means a scheme under which war pensions (as defined in section 25 of the Social Security Act 1989) are provided;\n“week”, in relation to council tax benefit, means a period of 7 days beginning with a Monday.\n(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) Regulations may make provision for the purposes of this Part of this Act—\n(a) as to circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being in Great Britain;\n(b) continuing a person’s entitlement to benefit during periods of temporary absence from Great Britain;\n(c) as to what is or is not to be treated as remunerative work or as employment;\n(d) as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as engaged or normally engaged in remunerative work;\n(e) as to what is or is not to be treated as relevant education;\n(f) as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as receiving relevant education;\n(g) specifying the descriptions of pension increases under war pension schemes or industrial injuries schemes that are analogous to the benefits mentioned in section 129(2)(b)(i) to (iii) above;\n(h) as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as occupying a dwelling as his home;\n(i) for treating any person who is liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling as if he were not so liable;\n(j) for treating any person who is not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling as if he were so liable;\n(k) for treating as included in a dwelling any land used for the purposes of the dwelling;\n(l) as to circumstances in which persons are to be treated as being or not being members of the same household;\n(m) as to circumstances in which one person is to be treated as responsible or not responsible for another.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 123-137 repealed (1.4.2013 in relation to council tax benefit) by Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5), s. 150(3), Sch. 14 Pt. 1; S.I. 2013/358, art. 8(c), Sch. 4 (with arts. 9, 10, Sch. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) substituted (6.3.1992) by Local Government Finance Act 1992 (c. 14), s. 119(2), Sch. 9 para. 9(a) (with s. 118(1)(2)(4))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) substituted (E.W.) (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 22(8)(a); and substituted (S.) (16.12.2014) by The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 and Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3229), art. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 2(13)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) substituted (2.12.2019) by The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 14(2)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) repealed (6.3.1992) by Local Government Finance Act 1992 (c. 14), s. 119(2), Sch. 9 para. 9(b), Sch. 14 (with s. 118(1)(2)(4))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Word in s. 137(1) substituted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 263(8)(d), Sch. 24 para. 46(2); S.I. 2005/3175, art. 2(1), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) inserted (7.10.1996) by Jobseekers Act 1995 (c. 18), s. 41(2), Sch. 2 para. 35(2); S.I. 1996/2208, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) repealed (S.) (1.4.1996) by Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39), s. 184(2), Sch. 13 para. 174(5), Sch. 14; S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) inserted (3.7.2007) by Welfare Reform Act 2007 (c. 5), s. 70(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) repealed (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 263(8)(d), Sch. 24 para. 46(3), Sch. 30; S.I. 2005/3175, art. 2(1)(6), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) inserted (2.7.2002 for specified purposes, 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act 2002 (c. 16), s. 22(3), Sch. 2 para. 4(2); S.I. 2003/1766, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) repealed (6.3.1992) by Local Government Finance Act 1992 (c. 14), s. 119(2), Sch. 9 para. 9(d) (with s. 118(1)(2)(4))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "S. 137(1A) omitted (E.W.) (13.3.2014) by virtue of The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 22(8)(b); and omitted (S.) (16.12.2014) by virtue of The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 and Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3229), art. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 2(13)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "S. 137(2)(d) substituted (7.10.1996) by Jobseekers Act 1995 (c. 18), s. 41(2), Sch. 2 para. 35(3); S.I. 1996/2208, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1989 c. 24."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2023/48",
      "affecting_title": "Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Act 2023"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/4/section/137",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:36:29.915383+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}