Explanatory note

These Regulations amend a number of different regulations relating to social security.

Regulations 2 and 4 to 7 amend the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987, the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996, the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, the Council Tax Benefit Regulations 2006 and the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 in so far as they relate to students and sums to be disregarded in the calculation of their entitlement to benefit. They provide—

• for increases in the amounts of grant and loan income to be disregarded in respect of travel costs and the costs of books and equipment;

• that where student loans are paid on the basis of two or more instalments in a quarter and the student abandons or is dismissed from his course, the loan payment is taken into account for an appropriate period for the purposes of a benefit claim.

Regulation 3 amends the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 so as to give the Secretary of State a discretion as to the circumstances in which he may require information or evidence to be notified in connection with the setting of a new assessed income period in state pension credit cases.

An impact assessment has not been published for this instrument as it has no impact on the costs of businesses, charities or voluntary bodies.