Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security Amendment (Education Maintenance Allowance) Regulations 2000 and shall come into force on 7th February 2000.

(2) In these Regulations-

"the Council Tax Benefit Regulations" means the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992(5);

"the Housing Benefit Regulations" means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987(6);

"the Income Support Regulations" means the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987(7);

"the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations" means the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996(8).

Disregard of education maintenance allowance

2.-(1) For each of the paragraphs specified in paragraph (2) of this regulation (which relate to sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings) there shall be substituted the following paragraph-

• "Any-

  (a)

  education maintenance allowance payable by virtue of regulations made under section 518 of the Education Act 1996(9) (payment of school expenses; grant of scholarships etc.) ("the 1996 Act"); or

  (b)

  sum (not being an allowance coming within sub-paragraph (a)) in respect of a course of study attended by a child or young person payable by virtue of regulations made under section 518 of the 1996 Act, section 49 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980(10) (power to assist persons to take advantage of educational facilities) or section 12(2)(c) of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992(11) (provision of financial assistance to students).".

(2) The paragraphs specified for the purposes of paragraph (1) of this regulation are-

(a)paragraph 10 of Schedule 4 to the Council Tax Benefit Regulations;

(b)paragraph 10 of Schedule 4 to the Housing Benefit Regulations;

(c)paragraph 11 of Schedule 9 to the Income Support Regulations;

(d)paragraph 12 of Schedule 7 to the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations.

(3) At the end of each of the Schedules specified in paragraph (4) of this regulation (which relate to capital to be disregarded) there shall be added the following paragraph bearing the respective specified paragraph number(12)-

• "Any education maintenance allowance payable by virtue of regulations made under section 518 of the Education Act 1996 (payment of school expenses; grant of scholarships etc.) which is payable as a termly bonus or as an achievement bonus at the end of an academic term but only for a period of 52 weeks from the date of receipt of that allowance.".

(4) The paragraphs specified for the purposes of paragraph (3) of this regulation are-

(a)paragraph 59 of Schedule 5 to the Council Tax Benefit Regulations;

(b)paragraph 59 of Schedule 5 to the Housing Benefit Regulations;

(c)paragraph 56 of Schedule 10 to the Income Support Regulations;

(d)paragraph 51 of Schedule 8 to the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations.

Revocation and saving

3. The Social Security Amendment (Educational Maintenance Allowance) Regulations 1999(13) are hereby revoked except to the extent that regulation 2(2)(b) and (c) of those Regulations substitutes the provisions specified in regulation 2(1) of those Regulations.

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) and the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992 (S.I.1992/1814).

In particular, regulation 2(1) of these Regulations provides that education maintenance allowances shall be disregarded in the calculation of a person's income for the purpose of ascertaining entitlement to the benefits referred to above. Regulation 2(3) provides that bonus payments of such allowances shall be disregarded as capital for the purpose of ascertaining entitlement to those benefits.

Regulation 3 revokes, with a saving, a previous set of Regulations.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.