SOCIAL SECURITY Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, State Pension Credit and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2004 and shall come into force— a for the purposes of this regulation and regulations ... 7(1) to (4) and (6), on 4th October 2004; b for the purposes of regulation 8, on 6th October 2004; c for all other purposes, on 4th April 2005. 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amendment of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amendment of the Council Tax Benefit Regulations 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amendment of Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 1999 4 In regulation 7(17B)(d)(ii) of the Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 1999 (date from which a decision superseded under section 10 takes effect) for “a non-dependant’s income increases and this affects” substitute “ there has been a change of circumstances in respect of a non-dependant and this reduces ” . Amendment of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 5 In Schedule 3 to the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 (housing costs)— a in paragraph 3(11)(c), for head (i) substitute— i detained in custody on remand pending trial or, as a condition of bail, required to reside— aa in a dwelling, other than the dwelling he occupies as his home; or bb in premises approved under section 9 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, or, detained pending sentence upon conviction, or ; b in paragraph 18— i in sub-paragraph (1), for paragraphs (a) to (c) substitute— a in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over who is engaged in any remunerative work, £47.75; b in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over to whom paragraph (a) does not apply, £7.40. ; ii in sub-paragraph (7)— aa at the end of paragraph (g), insert “ or ” ; bb after paragraph (g), add— h if he is in receipt of state pension credit. . Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 6 In Schedule 2 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (housing costs)— a in paragraph 3(11)(c), for head (i) substitute— i required, as a condition of bail, to reside— aa in a dwelling, other than the dwelling he occupies as his home; or bb in premises approved under section 9 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, or ; b in paragraph 17— i in sub-paragraph (1), for paragraphs (a) to (c) substitute— a in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over who is engaged in any remunerative work, £47.75; b in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over to whom paragraph (a) does not apply, £7.40. ; ii in sub-paragraph (7)— aa at the end of paragraph (g), insert “ or ” ; bb after paragraph (g), add— h if he is in receipt of state pension credit. . Amendment of the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 7 1 The State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation. 2 In regulation 1(2) (interpretation), after the definition of “Eileen Trust” insert— “ equity release scheme ” means a loan— a made between a person (“ the lender ”) and the claimant; b by means of which a sum of money is advanced by the lender to the claimant by way of payments at regular intervals; and c which is secured on a dwelling in which the claimant owns an estate or interest and which he occupies as his home; . 3 At the end of regulation 15(5) (income for the purposes of the Act), add— j any payment made at regular intervals under an equity release scheme. . 4 At the end of regulation 16 (retirement pension income), add— m any payment made at regular intervals under an equity release scheme. . 5 In Schedule II (housing costs)— a in paragraph 4(11)(c), for head (i) substitute— i detained in custody on remand pending trial or, as a condition of bail, required to reside— aa in a dwelling, other than the dwelling he occupies as his home; or bb in premises approved under section 9 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, or, detained pending sentence upon conviction; or ; b in paragraph 14— i in sub-paragraph (1), for paragraphs (a) to (c) substitute— a in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over who is engaged in any remunerative work, £47.75; b in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over to whom paragraph (a) does not apply, £7.40. ; ii in sub-paragraph (7)— aa at the end of paragraph (e), insert “ or ” ; bb after paragraph (e), add— f if he is in receipt of state pension credit. . 6 In paragraph 4(a) of Schedule V (capital disregarded for the purpose of calculating income) for the words from “partner” to “claimant” substitute “ person who is a close relative, grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece of the claimant or of his partner ” . Amendment of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 8 In regulation 4F of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 (making a claim after attaining the qualifying age: date of claim), in paragraph (3)— a for “claimant”, the first time it appears, substitute “ person wishing to make a claim ” ; and b in sub-paragraph (a), after “informs” insert “ (by whatever means) ” . Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Chris Pond Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions