Regulation 3 Amendment of the Income Support RegulationsI1I2

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for the definition of “year”^f2 there shall be substituted the following definitions—

• ““student loan” means a loan towards a student’s maintenance persuant to any regulations made under Article 3 of the Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, section 22 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 or section 73 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980;

• “year”, in relation to a course, means the period of 12 months beginning on and including 1st January, 1st April, 1st July or 1st September according to whether the academic year of the course begins in the winter, the spring, the summer or the autumn respectively, but if students are required to begin attending the course during August or September and to continue attending through the autumn the academic year of the course shall be considered to begin in the autumn rather than the summer.”.

in paragraph (2)(g)^f3 the words from “or” to the end shall be omitted;

for paragraph (2A)^f4 there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“(2A)

Where a student does not have a student loan and is not treated as possessing such a loan, there shall be excluded from the student’s grant income—

(a)

the sum of £250 in respect of travel costs, and

(b)

where no amount has been disregarded under paragraph (2)(g), the sum of £303 towards the cost of books and equipment,

whether or not any such costs are incurred.”.

for paragraph (1)^f7 there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“(1)

A student loan shall be treated as income.”;

for paragraph (3)^f8 there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—

“(3)

A student shall be treated as possessing a student loan in respect of an academic year where—

(a)

a student loan has been made to him in respect of that year, or

(b)

he could acquire such a loan in respect of that year by taking reasonable steps to do so.

(4)

Where a student is treated as possessing a student loan under paragraph (3), the amount of the student loan to be taken into account as income shall be, subject to paragraph (5)—

(a)

in the case of a student to whom a student loan is made in respect of an academic year, a sum equal to the maximum student loan he is able to acquire in respect of that year by taking reasonable steps to do so and either—

(i)

in the case of a student other than one to whom head (ii) refers, any contribution whether or not it has been paid to him, or

(ii)

in the case of a student to whom paragraph 1, 2, 10, 11 or 12 of Schedule 1B^f9 applies (lone parents or disabled students), any contribution which has actually been paid to him;

(b)

in the case of a student to whom a student loan is not made in respect of an academic year, the maximum student loan that would be made to the student if—

(i)

he took all reasonable steps to obtain the maximum student loan he is able to acquire in respect of that year, and

(ii)

no deduction in that loan was made by virtue of the application of a means test.

(5)

There shall be deducted from the amount of income taken into account under paragraph (4)—

(a)

the sum of £250 in respect of travel costs, and

(b)

where no amount has been disregarded under regulation 62(2)(g), the sum of £303 towards the cost of books and equipment,

whether or not any such costs are incurred.”.