The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit(General) Amendment Regulations 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971) and the Council Tax (General) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/1814).

Regulation 2 revokes regulations which disapplied the requirements concerning national insurance numbers imposed on persons claiming housing benefit or council tax benefit by section 1 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c. 5).

Regulation 3 increases the sum deducted from a person’s earnings in respect of child care costs.

Regulation 4 amends the provisions for the treatment of child care charges. The period over which child care charges are calculable is extended by 3 years or, in the case of a disabled person, 4 years. There is a new definition of a “disabled person”.

Regulations 5 and 6 change the way in which income and earnings are disregarded in respect of those people who are responsible for children or who are disabled and, in either case, are working 30 hours a week or more. In particular, they replace the existing disregard of family credit and disability working allowance with a disregard of earnings.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on businesses.