Amendment of the Housing Benefit Regulations

4.—(1) The Housing Benefit Regulations shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (5).

(2) In regulation 4 (remunerative work) after paragraph (6)(1) there shall be added the following paragraph—

“(7) A person shall not be treated as engaged in remunerative work on any day on which he is engaged in an activity in respect of which—

(a)a sports award has been made, or is to be made, to him, and

(b)no other payment is made or is expected to be made to him.”.

(3) In regulation 30(2)(2) (earnings of self-employed earners) at the end there shall be added “nor shall it include any sports award.”.

(4) At the end of Schedule 4(3) (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings) there shall be added the following paragraph—

“72.—(1) Any payment of a sports award except to the extent that it has been made in respect of any one or more of the items specified in sub-paragraph (2).

(2) The items specified for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) are food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel or rent or rates of the claimant or where the claimant is a member of a family, any other member of his family.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)—

• “food” does not include vitamins, minerals or other special dietary supplements intended to enhance the performance of the person in the sport in respect of which the award was made;

• “ordinary clothing and footwear” means clothing or footwear for normal daily use but does not include school uniforms or clothing or footwear used solely for sporting activities;

• “rent or rates” means eligible rent or rates less any deductions in respect of non-dependants which fall to be made under regulation 63 (non-dependant deductions).”.

(5) At the end of Schedule 5(4) (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of capital) there shall be added the following paragraph—

“57.—(1) Any payment of a sports award for a period of 26 weeks from the date of receipt of that payment except to the extent that it has been made in respect of any one or more of the items specified in sub-paragraph (2).

(2) The items specified for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) are food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel or rent or rates of the claimant or, where the claimant is a member of a family, any other member of his family.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)—

• “food” does not include vitamins, minerals or other special dietary supplements intended to enhance the performance of the person in the sport in respect of which the award was made;

• “ordinary clothing and footwear” means clothing or footwear for normal daily use but does not include school uniforms or clothing or footwear used solely for sporting activities;

• “rent or rates” means eligible rent or rates less any deductions in respect of non-dependants which fall to be made under regulation 63 (non-dependant deductions).”.