Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Students and Income-related Benefits) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 and, subject to paragraph (2), shall come into operation on 1st August 2005.

(2) Regulation 2 shall come into operation—

(a)in the case of a person whose period of study begins on or after 1st August 2005 but before 1st September 2005, on the day the period of study begins; and

(b)in any other case, on 1st September 2005.

(3) In these Regulations—

“the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(6);

“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(7);

“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(8);

“the 2003 Regulations” means the Social Security (Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003(9);

“period of study”(10) for the purposes of paragraph (2) has the same meaning as in regulation 61 of the Income Support Regulations.

(4) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(11) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Amendments in relation to the calculation of grant income

2.—(1) In sub-paragraph (a) of each of the provisions specified in paragraph (3) for “£275” there shall be substituted “£280”.

(2) In sub-paragraph (b) of each of the provisions specified in paragraph (3) for “£343” there shall be substituted “£352”.

(3) The provisions specified for the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2) (which relate respectively to sums to be disregarded from the calculation of grant income and from student loans) are—

(a)regulations 53(2A)(12) and 57A(5)(13) of the Housing Benefit Regulations;

(b)regulations 62(2A)(14) and 66A(5)(15) of the Income Support Regulations; and

(c)regulations 131(3)(16) and 136(5)(17) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations.

(4) In regulation 53(2B)(18) of the Housing Benefit Regulations sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) shall be omitted.

(5) Except in a case to which paragraph (6) applies, regulation 62(2B)(19) of the Income Support Regulations shall be omitted.

(6) This paragraph applies to a claimant to whom regulation 1(3) of the 2003 Regulations applies and in that case in regulation 62(2B)(20) of the Income Support Regulations sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) shall be omitted.

(7) Except in a case to which paragraph (8) applies, regulation 131(3A)(21) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations shall be omitted.

(8) This paragraph applies to a claimant to whom regulation 1(7) of the 2003 Regulations applies and in that case in regulation 131(3A)(22) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) shall be omitted.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987, the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the income-related benefits Regulations”) in so far as they relate to students and sums to be disregarded in the calculation of their entitlement to benefit under the income-related benefits Regulations.

The income-related benefits Regulations are amended to increase the amounts of grant and loan income to be disregarded in respect of travel costs and the costs of books and equipment. They are also amended to take account of changes to the provision of support to students.

In so far as these Regulations are required, for the purposes of regulation 2(1), (2), (3)(a) and (4), to be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee, they have not been so referred by virtue of section 150(1)(b) of that Act. Otherwise they make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, that Act, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.

These Regulations do not impose any charge on business.