The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2012
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
2012 No. 2885
Council Tax, England
The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2012
Made 16th November 2012
Laid before Parliament 22th November 2012
Coming into force 27th November 2012
The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 113(1) and (2) of, and paragraph 2 of Schedule 1A to, the Local Government Finance Act 19921:
PART 1
General
Citation, commencement and application
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2012 and come into force on 27th November 2012.
(2) These Regulations apply in relation to billing authorities in England.
(3) These Regulations apply in relation to council tax reduction schemes made by billing authorities for financial years beginning on or after 1st April 2013.
Interpretation
2.—(1) In these Regulations—
“the 1992 Act” means the Local Government Finance Act 1992;
“Abbeyfield Home” means an establishment run by the Abbeyfield Society including all bodies corporate or unincorporated which are affiliated to that society;
“adoption leave” means a period of absence from work on ordinary or additional adoption leave by virtue of section 75A or 75B of the Employment Rights Act 19962;
“AFIP” means an armed forces independence payment payable in accordance with an armed and reserve forces compensation scheme established under section 1(2) of the Armed Forces(Pensions and Compensation) Act 20043;
“alternative maximum council tax reduction” means the amount determined in accordance with Part 4 of Schedule 1 and Schedule 3;
“applicable amount” means the amount calculated in accordance with paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 and Schedule 2;
“applicant” means a person who has made an application;
“application” means an application for a reduction under a scheme;
“assessment period” means—
(a) in relation to the earnings of a self-employed earner, the period determined in accordance with paragraph 20 of Schedule 1 for the purpose of calculating the weekly earnings of the applicant; or
(b) in relation to any other income, the period determined in accordance with paragraph 17 of Schedule 1 for the purpose of calculating the weekly income of the applicant;
“attendance allowance” means—
(a) an attendance allowance under Part 3 of the SSCBA4;
(b) an increase of disablement pension under section 104 or 105 of that Act;
(c) a payment by virtue of article 14, 15, 16, 43 or 44 of the Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme 19835or any analogous payment; or
(d) any payment based on need for attendance which is paid as part of a war disablement pension;
“basic rate” has the meaning given by the Income Tax Act 20076;
“the benefit Acts” means the SSCBA, the Jobseekers Act 19957, the State Pension Credit Act 20028and the Welfare Reform Act 20079;
“board and lodging accommodation” means accommodation provided to a person or, if he is a member of a family, to him or any other member of his family, for a charge which is inclusive of the provision of that accommodation and at least some cooked or prepared meals which both are cooked or prepared (by a person other than the person to whom the accommodation is provided or a member of his family) and are consumed in that accommodation or associated premises;
“care home” has the meaning given by section 3 of the Care Standards Act 200010and in Scotland means a care home service within the meaning given by section 2(3) of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 200111and in Northern Ireland means a nursing home within the meaning of Article 11 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 200312or a residential care home within the meaning of Article 10 of that Order;
“the Caxton Foundation” means the charitable trust of that name established on 28th March 2011 out of funds provided by the Secretary of State for the benefit of certain persons suffering from hepatitis C and other persons eligible for payment in accordance with its provisions;
“child” means a person under the age of 16;
“child benefit” has the meaning given by section 141 of the SSCBA13;
“child tax credit” means a child tax credit under section 8 of the Tax Credits Act 200214;
“close relative” means a parent, parent-in-law, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, step-parent, step-son, step-daughter, brother, sister, or if any of the preceding persons is one member of a couple, the other member of that couple;
“concessionary payment” means a payment made under arrangements made by the Secretary of State with the consent of the Treasury which is charged either to the National Insurance Fund or to a Departmental Expenditure Vote to which payments of benefit or tax credits under the benefit Acts or the Tax Credits Act 200215are charged;
“contributory employment and support allowance” means a contributory allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 200716;
“council tax benefit” means council tax benefit under Part 7 of the SSCBA;
“couple” has the meaning given by regulation 4 of these Regulations;
“Default Scheme Regulations” means the Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Default Scheme) (England) Regulations 201217;
“designated office” means the office of an authority designated by it for the receipt of applications—
(a) by notice upon or with a form supplied by it for the purpose of making an application;
(b) by reference upon or with such a form to some other document from it and sent by electronic means or otherwise on application and without charge; or
(c) by any combination of the provisions set out in paragraphs (a) and (b);
“disability living allowance” means a disability living allowance under section 71 of the SSCBA18;
“earnings” has the meaning given by paragraph 18, 20 or 21 of Schedule 1 as the case may be;
“the Eileen Trust” means the charitable trust of that name established on 29th March 1993 out of funds provided by the Secretary of State for the benefit of persons eligible for payment in accordance with its provisions;
“electronic communication” has the same meaning as in section 15(1) of the Electronic Communications Act 200019;
“employed earner” is to be construed in accordance with section 2(1)(a) of the SSCBA and also includes a person who is in receipt of a payment which is payable under any enactment having effect in Northern Ireland and which corresponds to statutory sick pay or statutory maternity pay;
“enactment” includes an enactment comprised in, or in an instrument made under, an Act of the Scottish Parliament;
“extended reduction” means a reduction under a scheme for which a person is eligible under Part 7 of Schedule 1 or paragraph 2 of Schedule 8;
“extended reduction period” means the period for which a person is in receipt of an extended reduction in accordance with paragraph 39 of Schedule 1;
“extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits)” means a reduction under Schedule 1 by which a person is eligible pursuant to paragraph 38 or 41 of Schedule 1;
“family” has the meaning given by regulation 6 of these Regulations;
“the Fund” means moneys made available from time to time by the Secretary of State for the benefit of persons eligible for payment in accordance with the provisions of a scheme established by the Secretary of State on 24th April 1992 or, in Scotland, on 10th April 1992;
“guarantee credit” is to be construed in accordance with sections 1 and 2 of the State Pension Credit Act 200220;
“a guaranteed income payment” means a payment made under article 15(1)(c) or 29(1)(a) of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 201121;
“housing benefit” means housing benefit under Part 7 of the SSCBA;
“an income-based jobseeker’s allowance” and “a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance” have the meanings given by section 1(4) of the Jobseekers Act 199522;
“income-related employment and support allowance” means an income-related allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 2007;
“independent hospital”—
(a) in England means a hospital as defined by section 275 of the National Health Service Act 200623that is not a health service hospital as defined by that section;
(b) in Wales has the meaning given by section 2 of the Care Standards Act 200024; and
(c) in Scotland means an independent health care service as defined by section 10F of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 197825;
“the Independent Living Fund (2006)” means the Trust of that name established by a deed dated 10th April 2006 and made between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the one part and Margaret Rosemary Cooper, Michael Beresford Boyall and Marie Theresa Martin of the other part;
“invalid carriage or other vehicle” means a vehicle propelled by a petrol engine or by electric power supplied for use on the road and to be controlled by the occupant;
“the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund” means the company limited by guarantee (number 5505072), and registered charity of that name established on 11th July 2005 for the purpose of (amongst other things) relieving sickness, disability or financial need of victims (including families or dependants of victims) of the terrorist attacks carried out in London on 7th July 2005;
“lone parent” means a person who has no partner and who is responsible for and a member of the same household as a child or young person;
“the Macfarlane (Special Payments) Trust” means the trust of that name, established on 29th January 1990 partly out of funds provided by the Secretary of State, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from haemophilia;
“the Macfarlane (Special Payments) (No 2) Trust” means the trust of that name, established on 3rd May 1991 partly out of funds provided by the Secretary of State, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from haemophilia and other beneficiaries;
“the...
To continue reading
Request your trial