The Housing Benefit and Community Charge Benefits (Miscellaneous) Amendment Regulations 1991
These Regulations amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 and the Community Charge Benefits (General) Regulations 1989 so that with respect to each benefit–the number of hours of work in each week required for a person to be treated as engaged in remunerative work is reduced from not less than 24 to not less than 16 (regulations 2, 16, 19 and 31);the income included in the calculation of a person’s weekly income is more particularly specified (regulations 3 and 20);charitable payments made at regular intervals to be used by a person for paying a community charge are to be fully disregarded from his income, except where they are to be used for paying a personal community charge or collective community charge contribution when the maximum amount to be disregarded is £10 per week (regulations 5(c) and 32(a));the sums to be disregarded in calculating the profits of self-employed earners are extended (regulations 4 and 21);they amend the conditions governing the valuation of services performed by a claimant for another person in calculating a claimant’s income (regulations 6 and 22);they amend the rules for calculating the rate at which a person’s notional capital diminishes (regulations 7 and 23);what constitutes the last day of a course of education is defined and consequential amendments are made in the definitions of “grant income”, “period of study” and “student” (regulations 8 and 24), and the treatment of student loans (regulations 11 and 26);the sum allowed in respect of the cost of a student’s books and equipment is increased in calculating his grant income (regulations 10 and 25);claims made within 4 weeks of a claimant or his partner first becoming liable to make payments in respect of his dwelling or in respect of a personal community charge may be made at the appropriate social security office (regulations 12 and 27);the time for which benefit which has been overpaid in consequence of an official error shall continue to be due is restricted (regulations 13 and 29);they increase the personal allowance for single persons under 25 and lone parents under 18, the amounts payable in respect of children and young persons and the family premium and amend the conditions for entitlement to a carer premium (regulations 15 and 30);they specify that the first £10 of any payment by the government of a country outside Great Britain which is analogous to a war disablement pension or war widow’s pension are to be disregarded as part of a person’s income (regulations 17 and 32(b));premises occupied in whole or part by a partner or relative of a claimant or of certain members of his family may only be disregarded from his capital where that partner or relative is aged 60 or over or is incapacitated and occupies the premises as his home (regulations 18 and 33);the value of the right to receive a personal pension is to be disregarded from a person’s capital (regulations 18 and 33).