Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987, the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996, the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002, the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006, the Council Tax Benefit Regulations 2006, the Council Tax Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006, the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2006, the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (War Pension Disregards) Regulations 2007 and the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008.

The main purpose of these Regulations is to align, where possible, the income and capital disregard provisions in the means-tested social security benefits, to ensure a consistent approach to means tests across the legislation referred to above.

These Regulations also introduce a new disregard to enable the £10 war pensions disregard to continue to apply where the amount of war pension has been abated to less than £10 by an Armed Forces Pension Scheme payment.

These Regulations also make minor technical amendments, update some outdated references and revoke some redundant provisions from the Regulations referred to above.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the private or voluntary sectors.