Payments disregarded for state benefits

Certain payments are to be disregarded in the calculation of an individual’s state benefits. The Social Security (Income and Capital) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations, SI 2020/618, make a number of amendments to social security and universal credit regulations to ensure that certain payments (for example, payments made from the Grenfell Tower Residents’ Discretionary Fund), currently covered by extra-statutory arrangements, are disregarded in the calculation of means-tested benefits. The Regulations also provide an amendment to widen the definition of ‘postgraduate loan’ in order to future-proof regulations so that when new loans are introduced they can be treated correctly for benefit purposes. The regulations come into force on 15 July 2020.