The Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013

Periods of residence

32.—(1) In these Regulations, a “period of residence” is a period during which C –

(a)meets the condition in section 85(2) of the Act (care home residents);

(b)meets the condition in section 86(2) of the Act (hospital in-patients); or

(c)is a person who is undergoing imprisonment or detention in legal custody.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), for the purposes of section 87 of the Act and regulations 28 and 29, a period of residence —

(a)begins on the day after the day on which C enters a care home, hospital or similar institution or commences a period of imprisonment or detention in legal custody; and

(b)ends on the day before the day on which C leaves a care home, hospital or similar institution or on which a period of imprisonment or detention in legal custody ends.

(3) Where, immediately following a period of residence for the purpose of sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of paragraph (1), C commences another period of residence for the purpose of any of those sub-paragraphs, the earlier period of residence is deemed to end on the day on which C leaves the care home, hospital or similar institution or, as the case may be, on which the period of imprisonment or detention ends.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), for the purposes of regulation 30(1) and 31(1), —

(a)two or more distinct periods of residence separated by an interval not exceeding 28 days, or by two or more such intervals, are to be treated as a continuous period equal in duration to the total duration of such distinct periods and ending on the last day of the later or last such period; and

(b)any period or periods to which those regulations refer are to be taken into account and aggregated with any other period referred to in those regulations.

(5) Paragraph (4) is, where the periods referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph are both or all periods to which section 87 applies, to have effect as if -

(a)the words ‘subject to paragraph (5)’ and ‘regulation 30(1) and’ were omitted;

(b)the reference to ‘28 days’ in sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph read ‘one year’; and

(c)the references to ‘those regulations’ in sub-paragraph (b) read ‘that regulation’ and the reference to ‘refer’ read ‘refers’.