The Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 1999

Income support and social fund determinations on incomplete evidenceE+W+S

13.—[F1(1) Where, for the purpose of a decision under section 8 (decisions by Secretary of State) or 10 (decisions superseding earlier decisions)—

(a)a determination falls to be made by the Secretary of State in respect of a claimant of income support, state pension credit or employment and support allowance as to—

(i)the amount to be included in an owner-occupier loan payment under regulation 10 of the Loans for Mortgage Interest Regulations (calculation of each loan payment); or

(ii)what housing costs are to be included in the claimant’s applicable amount (in the case of income support or employment and support allowance) or the claimant’s appropriate minimum guarantee (in the case of state pension credit); and

(b)it appears to the Secretary of State that the Secretary of State is not in possession of all of the evidence or information which is relevant for the purposes of such a determination,

the Secretary of State shall make the determination on the assumption that the amounts to be included in an owner-occupier loan payment, the claimant’s applicable amount, or the claimant’s appropriate minimum guarantee, as the case may be, are those that can be immediately determined.]

(2) Where, for the purpose of a decision under section 8 or 10—

(a)a determination falls to be made by the Secretary of State as to whether—

(i)in relation to any person, the applicable amount falls to be reduced or disregarded to any extent by virtue of section 126(3) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (persons affected by trade disputes);

(ii) for the purposes of regulation 12 of the Income Support Regulations, a person is by virtue of that regulation to be treated as receiving relevant education; F2 ...

(iii)in relation to any claimant, the applicable amount includes severe disability premium by virtue of regulation 17(1)(d) or 18(1)(e), and paragraph 13 of Schedule 2 to, the Income Support Regulations; [F3or

(iv) in relation to any claimant, the applicable amount includes the severe disability premium by virtue of regulation 67(1) or 68(1) of, and paragraph 6 of Schedule 4 to, the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations ; and]

(b)it appears to the Secretary of State that he is not in possession of all of the evidence or information which is relevant for the purposes of such a determination,

he shall make the determination on the assumption that the relevant evidence or information which is not in his possession is adverse to the claimant.

[F4(3) Where, for the purposes of a decision under section 8 or 10—

(a) a determination falls to be made by the Secretary of State as to whether a claimant’s appropriate minimum guarantee includes an additional amount in accordance with regulation 6(4) of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule I to, the State Pension Credit Regulations ; and

(b)it appears to the Secretary of State that he is not in possession of all the evidence or information which is relevant for the purpose of such a determination,

he shall make the determination on the assumption that the relevant evidence or information which is not in his possession is adverse to the claimant.]