The Income-related Benefits and Jobseeker’s Allowance (Personal Allowances for Children and Young Persons) (Amendment) Regulations 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I.1987/1967), the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (S.I.1996/207), the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I.1987/1971), the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992 (S.I.1992/1814), the Family Credit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I.1987/1973) and the Disability Working Allowance (General) Regulations 1991 (S.I.1991/2887).

In particular, these Regulations change the date when personal allowances in respect of children and young persons are increased for the purposes of income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit, from the date the child or young person concerned attains the age of 11 or 16 to the first Monday in September after that child or young person attains that age. They also provide that an increase in those allowances will no longer be applicable in respect of young persons aged 18 or over (regulation 2).

Similar provisions are made in relation to the assessment of the appropriate maximum amounts of family credit and of disability working allowance, together with consequential amendments (regulations 5, 6, 8 and 9). Corresponding provisions are also made relating to the period during which childcare charges may be disregarded for the purposes of housing benefit, council tax benefit, family credit and disability working allowance (regulations 3, 4 and 7).

Regulation 10 makes transitional provisions relating to children or young persons who attained the ages of 11, 16 or 18 before the Regulations came into force.

The Report of the Social Security Advisory Committee dated 18th September 1996 on the proposals referred to them in respect of these Regulations, together with a statement showing the extent to which these Regulations give effect to the Recommendations of the Committee, and in so far as they do not give effect to them, the reasons why not, are contained in Command Paper Cm 3393, published by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.