New benefit helps those who save for their retirement

This month sees the introduction of the State Pension Credit. It will benefit many more pensioners than the minimum income guarantee it replaces. The savings credit element has been carefully designed to help those who help themselves. As a consequence of the changes, however, many more pensioners will be in receipt of a means-tested benefit than before.


Summary of key points

  • The pension credit is a means-tested benefit that replaces the existing minimum income guarantee from 6 October 2003.

  • The pension credit comprises two separate components - the guarantee credit and the savings credit.

  • The guarantee credit may be payable to a claimant aged 60 or over, or who is a member of a couple in which the other partner is aged 60 or over.

  • The guarantee credit raises the claimant's "income" (as defined), or the joint income of a couple, up to the level of the appropriate minimum guarantee.

  • The savings credit may be payable to a claimant aged 65 or over, or who is a member of a couple in which the other partner is aged 65 or over.

  • The savings credit aims to reward those who have taken action during their working life to make modest provision for their retirement above the savings credit threshold.

  • The savings credit is calculated at 60% of the claimant's or couple's "qualifying income" (as defined) above the level of the relevant savings credit threshold up to the level of the maximum savings credit, but is reduced by 40% of the income above the level of the appropriate minimum guarantee.
  •  If the claimant or the claimant's partner is aged 65 or over, the pension credit will normally be payable for an assessed income period without the claimant being required to report any changes in the level of income received.


    • Since publication of the State Pension Credit Bill much detail has been added to the operation of the new benefit, but the basic structure has remained intact. The pension credit is being introduced on 6 October 2003. It is a means-tested benefit comprising two separate components - the guarantee credit and the savings credit.

    The guarantee credit plays the same role as the former minimum income guarantee, and is payable to those aged 60 or over. The savings credit is a new benefit designed to reward those aged 65 or over who have made modest savings provision for retirement.

    Because the pension credit is an attempt to target state benefit expenditure in a quite sophisticated way, it is inevitability complex, and the State Pension Credit Act 2002 contains a series of carefully defined technical terms. The main terms and their definitions are set out in box 1 and, in this article, the first use of a defined term has been italicised.

    Guarantee credit

    The first component of the pensions credit, the guarantee credit, is the direct successor to the minimum income guarantee, the name given to income support paid to those aged 60 or over. The guarantee credit is available to a single pensioner who is aged 60 or over, or to a pensioner couple (married or unmarried) where one of the partners has reached this age. Where an eligible claimant has income that is less than his or her appropriate minimum guarantee, the guarantee credit will become payable so that the claimant's income is made up to that appropriate minimum guarantee.

    The appropriate minimum guarantee in any particular claimant's case will be the sum of the standard minimum guarantee and any additional amounts payable when specified conditions are met. The additional amounts will be payable where:

  • the claimant is severely disabled;

  • the claimant has caring responsibilities for a severely disabled person;

  • the provisional amount of guarantee credit would be less than that received by the claimant from income support or jobseeker's allowance immediately before the introduction of pension credit (so a transitional provision); or

  • the claimant has specified housing costs that are not met by housing benefit (ie mainly mortgage payments, but generally only in respect of loans taken out before 1 October 1995).

    In 2003/04, the standard minimum guarantee is as follows:

  • £102.10 pw for a single person; and

  • £155.80 pw for a couple.

    The additional amount to be added for severe disability is:

  • £42.95 per week (pw) for a single person, or for a couple if only one person qualifies; and

  • £85.90 pw for a couple, if both qualify.

    The additional amount for carers is:

  • £25.10 pw

    Income from capital and disregards from income, capital and earnings

    As noted above, claimants will not be eligible for guarantee credit if their income exceeds their appropriate minimum guarantee. Income includes "deemed" income from capital.

    Other than those elements of capital that may be disregarded, a claimant's capital is assumed to yield an income of £1 pw for each £500 in excess of £6,000 and £1 pw for any excess that is not a complete £500. If the claimant is residing permanently in a residential care home, the first £10,000 rather than the first £6,000 is ignored. Capital below the £6,000 or £10,000 limits is not treated as giving rise to income for pension credit purposes.

    Schedule IV to the principal Regulations, the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 (see box 7), sets out amounts to be disregarded in the calculation of income, while Schedule V specifies certain kinds of capital that is to be disregarded, and Schedule VI lists sums to be disregarded from a claimant's earnings and so also disregarded in the calculation of income. The main disregards are set out below (but these lists are far from exhaustive):

  • the first £10 of specified war disablement pensions and war widow's/widower's pension, and the whole of any additional amount of such a pension paid as a constant attendance supplement or an exceptionally severe disablement supplement;

  • the first £20 pw and 50% of the excess of any income from renting out board and lodging accommodation in the claimant's own home;

  • the first £20 pw obtained from renting out part of the claimant's own home;

  • income from an annuity purchased with a loan secured on a property in which the annuitant owns an interest and where the terms of the loan satisfy specified conditions;

  • income from all personal possessions, assets of a self-employed person's business, the surrender value of life insurance policies and the value of funeral plan contracts;

  • the capital value of the claimant's home; and

  • the first £5 pw of a single claimant's earnings or the first £10 pw of the claimant's earnings if the claimant has a partner.

    Calculating earnings

    In calculating the amount of a claimant's income, any amounts payable in tax or deducted by way of national insurance contributions are disregarded, and so deducted from income before claims are assessed.

    In the case of claimants who are also employees, the provisions of the Social Security Benefit (Computation of Earnings) Regulations 1996 that define earnings for social security benefits purposes are not applied for the purposes of calculating earnings in relation to the pension credit. Instead, provisions in the principal Regulations (as amended) specify various items that do or do not fall be classified as "earnings". In the case of claimants who are also self-employed, the provisions of the 1996 Regulations are applied, but as modified by the new Regulations.

    Deprivation of income

    Claimants and partners of claimants will be treated as still having any income of which they have deprived themselves so as to secure entitlement to pension credit, or to an increased level of pension credit. Claimants who have reached the qualifying age will be treated as having UK state pension income (retirement pension income under points (a) to (e) of the list in box 3) to which they might be expected to be entitled even if they have made no claim.

    Claimants will also be deemed to have "notional income" from an occupational pension that they have elected to defer. Furthermore, where individuals aged not less than 60 are entitled to money-purchase benefits from an occupational pension scheme, personal pension scheme or retirement annuity contract and they fail to purchase an annuity with the funds available in that scheme, they will be treated as possessing the amount of income forgone, but only from the date on which it could be expected to be acquired if an application for it were to be made.

    More specifically, notional income arises in cases where a person fails to purchase an annuity with the funds available, where that person:

  • defers in whole or in part the payment of any income that would have been payable; or

  • fails to take any necessary action to secure that the whole of any income, which would be payable upon application for payment, is paid; or

  • is unable to take advantage of income withdrawal.

    Under the first two bullet points, the amount of income forgone will be taken as the maximum amount of income withdrawal that could be taken from the fund. But where income withdrawal is not offered, the amount of the income forgone is the maximum amount of income that the claimant could have received (without purchasing an annuity) had the funds been held under a scheme where income withdrawal was available.

    Deprivation of capital

    Similarly, claimants will be treated as possessing capital of which they have deprived themselves for the purpose of securing entitlement to state pension credit, or of increasing its amount, except where the assets derive from an award of damages for personal injury and the assets are either held on trust or administered under a court order. This includes disposals of capital by way of a gift to a third party.

    On the other hand, use of capital to reduce or pay a debt owed by the claimant, or to purchase goods or services, if the expenditure was "reasonable", will not result in the claimant being treated as having notional capital.

    Savings credit

    The second component of the pensions credit, the savings credit, is altogether new. As we see below, its purpose is to mitigate the disincentive to saving for retirement that normally arises from means-tested benefit systems. It rewards those who make their own private provision for retirement.

    Calculating the savings credit

    Unlike the guarantee credit, which is payable from the qualifying age (ie currently 60), the savings credit is payable when either the claimant has reached age 65 or, where the claimant is a member of a couple (married or unmarried), the other member has reached age 65. It is only payable if the claimant's qualifying income (see box 4) exceeds the savings credit threshold. In 2003/04, the savings credit threshold is:

  • £77.45 pw for a single person; and

  • £123.80 pw for a couple.

    It is important to appreciate that, even if a claimant has made private provision, this provision will not attract any savings credit benefit unless it takes the claimant's qualifying income above the savings credit threshold. In fact, if the claimant's qualifying income excluding the private provision does not exceed the savings credit threshold, then it follows that at least part of the private provision cannot in any circumstances attract the reward for saving that the savings credit represents.

    The calculation of the savings credit also depends on the maximum savings credit, which is always equal to 60% of the difference between the standard minimum guarantee and the savings credit threshold. In 2003/04, as noted previously, the standard minimum guarantee is £102.10 pw for a single person (£155.80 for a couple) and the savings credit threshold is £77.45 pw (£123.80). Taking 60% of the difference, the maximum savings credit is therefore:

  • £14.79 pw for a single person; and

  • £19.20 pw for a couple.

    The savings credit is calculated in line with the 10-step algorithm set out in box 5. The box also contains an example calculation. The savings credit will be equal to 60% of the amount by which the qualifying income exceeds the savings credit threshold. Those whose qualifying income exceeds their appropriate minimum guarantee will have their savings credit scaled back. No savings credit is payable if their income is sufficiently high.

    Note that where the amount of pension credit is less than 10p a week, no pension credit will be payable unless the claimant is in receipt of another state benefit payable with the credit.

    Housing and council tax benefits

    Pensioners who have been receiving the minimum income guarantee also qualified automatically for housing benefit and council tax benefit. There was concern that with the introduction of the pension credit, those who received the savings credit would find that these other means-tested benefits would be reduced in consequence.

    Under the new arrangements, pensioners who receive the guarantee credit qualify automatically for maximum housing benefit and council tax benefit. Those who receive only the savings credit can make a claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit. However, the "applicable amount" in the case of housing benefit and council tax benefit for pensioners aged 65 and over will be increased by the maximum savings credit to ensure that they receive the full benefit of any savings credit entitlement.

    Pensioners with capital exceeding £16,000 and who are entitled to the savings credit only or who have no entitlement to pension credit will continue to be excluded from housing benefit and council tax benefit.

    Claims procedure

    Like other benefits, pension credit is only payable if a person makes a valid claim. The claimant, and any other person for whom a claim is being made, must have a valid national insurance number to establish the claim. In order that the assessment of a claimant's entitlement to pension credit is less intrusive than the procedures used for minimum income guarantee claims, certain types of income known as retirement provision (see box 6) are to be treated as remaining the same, subject to routine adjustment for inflation for up to five years, a period known as the assessed income period and set by the Pension Service (part of the Department for Work and Pensions).

    For an assessed income period to be set, either the claimant or the claimant's (married or unmarried) partner must have reached age 65, and neither can be less than age 60. Nor can it be set if pension credit is awarded, or awarded at a higher rate, at a time when an element of the claimant's retirement provision (see note in box 6) stops temporarily.

    When the Pension Service sets an assessed income period, it has the effect of fixing, for the duration of that period, what is to be treated as an element of the claimant's retirement provision. Any further elements of retirement provision acquired later in the assessed income period are simply disregarded, and so the claimant does not need to report receipt of extra retirement provision during this period. Specifying the assessed income period also fixes the amount the claimant is considered to receive from each element of retirement provision, these being known as the "assessed amounts".

    Nevertheless each assessed amount may be deemed by the Pension Service to increase annually unless the claimant's pension scheme or annuity contract contains no provision for periodic increases. The deemed increase will generally be in line with the terms of the claimant's pension or annuity arrangements unless these details are not known, in which case the deemed increase will be in line with the annual uprating of social security benefits.

    Revising awards of credit

    The amounts claimants are deemed to receive and the amounts actually received may differ, but if the difference works against claimants they may ask the Pension Service to make a new decision on their entitlement. Provided that the overall effect is to increase the claimant's total income from the date of the claim, the fresh determination on any element of retirement provision will take effect for the remainder of the assessed income period.

    Assessed income periods will normally be for five years but the Pension Service may set a shorter period if it considers that, looking at the claimant's circumstances for the 12 months following the day on which the decision on entitlement takes effect, the elements of the claimant's retirement provision are not likely to be typical. Also, under special transitional arrangements, the Pension Service will initially set assessed income periods of between five and seven years to avoid administrative overload in 2008. An assessed income period, however, will automatically come to an end if:

  • a claimant becomes a member of a married or unmarried couple;

  • a claimant ceases to be a member of a married or unmarried couple (whether as a result of divorce, separation or death);

  • a claimant or the claimant's partner reaches age 65;

  • a claimant no longer satisfies a condition of entitlement to pension credit;

  • payments of an element of the claimant's retirement provision stops temporarily, or the amount to be paid is less than the amount due and in consequence the award of pension credit is superseded; or

  • a claimant who has no partner is provided with accommodation in a care home other than on a temporary basis.

    TAKE-UP AND COMMUNICATION

    Pensioners formerly receiving the minimum income guarantee are being transferred automatically to pension credit. The government had stated that it was on course to have completed the transfer of those 1.8 million cases by October. Apart from issuing leaflet PC1L, Pension credit - Pick it up. It's yours, all pensioner households who have not been in receipt of the minimum income guarantee are to be contacted by June 2004, using a personalised letter.

    A special 12-month backdating provision has been put in place that runs until October 2004. All claimants with entitlement who apply before October 2004 will have their applications backdated to October 2003, or the earliest date of entitlement.

    In a House of Commons debate on the pension credit held on 7 July, pensions minister Malcolm Wicks stoutly defended the procedure for claiming the pension credit. He said: "Despite being typecast as old-fashioned, stigmatising means-testing, the pension credit can be applied for over the telephone. One of our staff fills in the application, simply asking the pensioner to verify it. Minor changes of circumstances over a five-year period do not have to be reported. This is a new approach to targeting help on some of those who need it most. I hope that all members of parliament, who have thousands of people in their constituencies who can apply, will get behind it. We must make sure that we push take-up to as close as possible to 100% in due course."

    The DWP itself has in place a target, enshrined in a public service agreement, that the pension credit should be in payment to at least 3 million pensioner households by 2006. The secretary of state Andrew Smith has reported1 that this is equivalent to 73% of all eligible pensioner households, but has stressed that the aim is that the pension credit should go to all those who are entitled to it.

    Those wanting to apply for pension credit can do so by calling the pension credit application line on 0800 99 1234.

    Box 1: Definition of technical terms

    Term

    Definition

    Appropriate minimum guarantee

    In the case of any particular claimant, equal to the level of the standard minimum guarantee plus any additional amounts payable on account of severe disability, if the claimant is a carer, or for specified mortgage payments. The sum of a claimant's income and guarantee credit will equal the claimant's appropriate minimum guarantee.

    Assessed income period

    A period normally of up to five years during which the claimant is not required to report any increases in retirement provision.

    Claimant

    Someone claiming state pension credit. A claimant is not entitled to pension credit if below the qualifying age. A claimant is not entitled to pension credit if his or her spouse or partner has already claimed and is now entitled to pension credit. The spouse or partner of the claimant can be below the qualifying age. A claimant must be in Great Britain (there is separate provision for Northern Ireland), but may continue to receive benefit, normally for up to four weeks, while temporarily absent from the country. A person may be excluded from claiming pension credit under s.115(1) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

    Guarantee credit

    The pension credit component payable from the qualifying age. The amount of the guarantee credit payable to claimants is the difference between their income and the level of their appropriate minimum guarantee.

    Income

    For all purposes of the State Pension Credit Act 2002, comprises the items listed in box 2. Income, as defined, is primarily used to calculate entitlement to the guarantee credit. All qualifying income and retirement income also count as income.

    Maximum savings credit

    Equal to 60% of the difference between the standard minimum guarantee and the savings credit threshold. In 2003/04 this is £14.79 pw for a single person and £19.20 pw for a couple.

    Qualifying age

    The age from which the guarantee credit can be payable. For a woman, this is when she reaches state pension age; for a man, it is when he reaches the age that is the state pension age of a woman who was born on the same day as him. Until 2010, the qualifying age is always 60.

    Qualifying income

    Income that is taken into account for the purposes of calculating entitlement to the savings credit. See box 4 for details of what counts as qualifying income.

    Retirement pension income

    A special subset of income. All retirement pension income also counts as income and qualifying income. See box 3 for details of what counts as retirement pension income.

    Retirement provision

    Certain types of income that are treated as remaining the same (save for an inflation adjustment) over the assessed income period.

    Savings credit

    This pension credit component is payable from age 65. If the claimant has qualifying income above the level of the savings credit threshold, the amount of the savings credit is equal to 60% of the excess amount, subject to it not exceeding the maximum savings credit. However, if the claimant's income exceeds the appropriate minimum guarantee, the amount of the savings credit is reduced by 40% of this excess amount, except that it cannot be reduced below zero.

    Savings credit

    For a single person, equal to the current full rate of the basic state pension threshold (£77.45 pw in 2003/04); for a couple, equal to the current full rate of the category A basic state pension plus the full rate of the current category B married woman's pension (£123.80 pw in 2003/04).

    Standard minimum guarantee

    The level of income guaranteed by the state to a claimant who has reached the qualifying age, and who, or whose partner, is not severely disabled nor acting as a carer. If the claimant's income is less than this level, the shortfall is made up by the state through payment to the claimant of the guarantee credit. In 2003/04, the standard minimum guarantee is £102.10 pw for a single person and £155.80 pw for a couple.

    Box 2: Definition of "income"


    Income means any of the following:

    (a) earnings (as defined in Parts 1-5 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992);

    (b) working tax credit;

    (c) retirement pension income (see box 3);

    (d) income from annuity contracts that is not retirement pension income;

    (e) all state social security benefits (other than retirement pension income and pension credit itself) with the exception of: disability living allowance, attendance allowance, constant attendance allowance, exceptionally severe disablement allowance, increases for dependants and social fund payments, including winter fuel allowance and cold weather payments, child benefit, Christmas bonus, housing benefit, council tax benefit, bereavement payment, statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay, statutory adoption pay and the equivalent benefits under the Northern Ireland legislation;

    (f) foreign social security benefits;

    (g) war disablement pension, war widow's or war widower's pension;

    (h) foreign war disablement pension, or foreign war widow's/widower's pension;

    (i) income from capital;

    (j) payments under article 37 of the Naval, Military and Air Forces etc (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 1983, pensions paid to victims of Nazi persecution, payments under a scheme made under the Pneumoconiosis etc (Worker's Compensation) Act 1979, maintenance payments received by a spouse or former spouse, payments due to any person in respect of board and lodging accommodation provided by the claimant, royalties received as consideration for use of any copyright, patent or trademark, and any payment under the Public Lending Right Scheme 1982.

    Box 3: Definition of "retirement pension income"


    Retirement income means any of the following:

    (a) a category A or B state retirement pension, both the basic state pension and additional pension components;

    (b) shared additional pension under the "pensions sharing on divorce" provisions;

    (c) graduated retirement benefit;

    (d) a non-contributory category C or D state pension;

    (e) age addition (the extra 25p at age 80);

    (f) income from an occupational pension scheme or a personal pension scheme;

    (g) income from an overseas arrangement;

    (h) income from a retirement annuity contract;

    (i) income from annuities or insurance policies purchased or transferred for the purpose of giving effect to rights under a personal pension scheme or an overseas arrangement;

    (j) income from annuities purchased or entered into under the pension credits on divorce provisions;

    (k) any sum payable by way of pension out of money provided under the Civil List Acts; and

    (l) any payment, other than a payment ordered by a court or made in settlement of a claim, made by or on behalf of a former employer of a person on account of the early retirement of that person on grounds of ill health or disability.

    Box 4: Definition of "qualifying income"


    For the purpose of the savings credit, all income is to be treated as qualifying income except the following:

  • working tax credit;

  • incapacity benefit;

  • contribution-based jobseeker's allowance;

  • severe disablement allowance;

  • maternity allowance; and

  • maintenance payments received from a spouse or former spouse.

    • Box 5: Calculating savings credit


    The left-hand column below describes how pension credit is calculated using a 10-step algorithm and the right-hand column provides an example.

    Example: A pensioner couple, with one partner aged 65 or over, has income and qualifying income of £183.50 pw in 2003/04. They are in good health and do not make any mortgage payments.

    The calculation

    An example

    1.

    Identify the example couple's qualifying income.

    1.

    Qualifying income equals £183.50 for our example couple.

    2.

    Identify the value of the savings credit threshold applying to the claimant's case (single or couple's rate).

    2.

    Savings credit threshold for a couple equals £123.80.

    3.

    If this savings credit threshold is greater than the claimant's qualifying income, then no savings credit is payable. Otherwise proceed to step 4.

    3.

    £123.80 is less than £183.50 so savings credit may be payable.

    4.

    Subtract the savings credit threshold from the claimant's qualifying income. Multiply this by 60%.

    4.

    £183.50 minus £123.80 equals £59.70. Multiplied by 60% equals £35.82.

    5.

    If the result of step 4 is greater than the maximum savings credit, substitute the maximum savings credit. Otherwise retain the result of step 4.

    5.

    £35.82 is greater than the maximum savings credit (£19.20), so substitute £19.20.

    6.

    Identify the value of the appropriate minimum guarantee applying to the claimant for calculation of the guarantee credit.

    6.

    The standard minimum guarantee (£155.80) is the appropriate minimum guarantee for our example couple.

    7.

    Identify the claimant's income as used to calculate the guarantee credit.

    7.

    £183.50 for our example couple.

    8.

    If the claimant's appropriate minimum guarantee is greater than, or the same as, the claimant's income, the amount of savings credit payable is the result of Step 5. Otherwise proceed to step 9.

    8.

    £155.80 is less than £183.50, so proceed to step 9.

    9.

    Subtract the appropriate minimum guarantee from the claimant's income and multiply the result by 40%.

    9.

    £183.50 minus £155.80 equals £27.70. Multiplied by 40% equals £11.08.

    10.

    Subtract the result of step 9 from the result of step 5. If the result is positive, this is the amount of savings credit payable; if it is not, then no savings credit is payable.

    10.

    £19.20 less £11.08 equals £8.12, the weekly amount of savings credit payable.

    Box 6: Definition of "retirement provision"


    Retirement provision is any of the following kinds of income:

    (a)retirement pension income, but excluding any state benefit paid under the Social Security Contributions and State Benefits Act 1992;

    (b)income from annuity contracts (other than retirement pension income); and

    (c)income from capital.

    NB. An "element" of a person's retirement provision is income of any of the above from a particular source.

    Box 7: Legislation introducing State Pension Credit

  • State Pension Credit Act 2002

    Received Royal Assent on 25 June 2002 and makes provision for the new social security benefit called state pension credit.

  • State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/1792)

    The principal Regulations governing pension credit giving details of entitlement and amount, definitions of income and how the benefit may be lost.

  • State Pension Credit (Consequential, Transitional and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/3019)

    Make amendments to the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 and to the Claims and Payments Regulations, Decisions and Appeals Regulations and to 12 other sets of social security Regulations.

  • State Pension Credit (Consequential, Transitional and Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/3197)

    Make further amendments to the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 and some minor changes to three other sets of social security Regulations.

  • Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/325)

    Make amendments to the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 and the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992. They contain new provisions for those who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit.

  • Social Security (Removal of Residential Allowance and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/1121)

    Provide for the termination, from 6 October 2003, of the payment of a residential allowance to recipients of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance who are residing in residential care homes or nursing homes.

  • Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Abolition of Benefit Periods) Amendment Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/1338)

    Abolish benefit periods in housing benefit and council tax benefit for those who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit.

  • Social Security (Claims and Payments and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/1632)

    Make amendments to the Claims and Payments Regulations 1987, the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 and the Council Tax (General) Regulations 1992 to enable those of qualifying age for state pension credit to make claims for other specified social security benefits at the same time and place.

  • State Pension Credit (Transitional and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2274)

    Makes amendments to Claims and Payments Regulations 1987, the Decisions and Appeals Regulations 1999, the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 and the State Pension Credit (Consequential, Transitional and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2002. Among other things, they clarify the provisions under which a person is treated as being or not being a member of the same household as the claimant, and change the provisions in respect of certain categories of income.

  • Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (State Pension Credit and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2275)

    Make further amendments to the legislative provisions governing housing benefit and council tax benefit, many of which are made in consequence of amendments made to the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002 by the State Pension Credit (Transitional and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Regulations 2003.

    		•

    Note: this list excludes Commencement Orders.


    Our research

    Our research is based principally on the State Pension Credit Act 2002 and the secondary legislation listed in box 7. We have also drawn on parliamentary debates reported in Hansard.

    1Hansard (HC), 7.7.03, col.735.