PART 4Entitlement to council tax reduction
Temporary absence from Great Britain18
1
For the purposes of determining whether a person is in Great Britain, a person’s temporary absence from Great Britain is disregarded—
a
for the first month of the temporary absence if paragraph (2) applies; or
b
for the first 6 months of the temporary absence if paragraph (3) applies.
2
This paragraph applies where—
a
the person was entitled to council tax reduction immediately before the beginning of the period of temporary absence; and
b
the person has not been absent on more than two occasions in the previous 52 weeks, starting from the first day of the current period of temporary absence.
3
This paragraph applies where—
a
the person was entitled to council tax reduction immediately before the beginning of the period of temporary absence; and
b
the absence is solely in connection with—
i
the treatment of the person for an illness or physical or mental disability by, or under the supervision of, a person appropriately qualified to carry out that treatment;
ii
the person accompanying a person described in paragraph (5) for the treatment of the person so described for an illness or physical or mental disability by, or under the supervision of, a person appropriately qualified to carry out that treatment; or
iii
the person undergoing medically approved convalescence or care as a result of treatment for an illness or physical or mental disability, where the person had that illness or disability before leaving Great Britain.
4
The period in paragraph (1)(a) may be extended by up to a one month if—
a
the temporary absence is in connection with the death of—
i
a person described in paragraph (5); or
ii
a close relative of the person or a close relative of a person described in paragraph (5); and
b
the relevant authority is satisfied that it would be unreasonable to expect the person to return to Great Britain within the first month.
5
A person described by this paragraph is—
a
where the person is a member of a couple, the other member of the couple; or
b
a child or young person for whom the person, or where the person is a member of a couple, the other member of the couple, is responsible.
6
In this regulation “appropriately qualified” means qualified to provide medical treatment or physiotherapy or a form of treatment which is similar to, or related to, either of those forms of treatment.