These Regulations amend the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987, the Council Tax Benefit Regulations 2006, the Council Tax Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006, the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 and the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006.

Regulation 2 amends the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987. Paragraph (2)(a) and (b) amend regulation 13 to remove references to obsolete benefits. Paragraph (2)(c) amends regulation 13 to exclude persons from abroad from making advance claims for income support and jobseeker’s allowance. Paragraph (3) amends regulation 13D to exclude persons not in Great Britain from making advance claims for state pension credit.

Regulations 3, 4, 5 and 6 make amendments to exclude persons from abroad from making advance claims for housing benefit and council tax benefit.

The Report of the Social Security Advisory Committee dated 6th October 2006 on the proposals referred to them in respect of these Regulations together with a statement showing the extent to which these Regulations give effect to the Recommendations of the Committee, and in so far as they do not give effect to them and the reasons why not, are contained in Command Paper Cm. 7073 published by the Stationery Office Ltd.

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been carried out in respect of the Regulations as they do not impose a cost on business, charities or the voluntary sector.