The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2015

These Regulations amend the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1230) (“the Principal Regulations”). They extend the cases, which are set out in regulation 6(2) of those Regulations, in which a person is a “universal credit claimant” and may not make a claim for income support, housing benefit or a tax credit. In particular, new regulation 6(2)(ba) provides for a person to be treated as a universal credit claimant during the six month period after an award of universal credit has come to an end, or a universal credit claim has been refused, because of the level of the claimant’s earned income. Regulation 6 of the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/380) provides for an award of universal credit to be made without a claim during this period, if the claimant’s circumstances change. A claimant will remain a “universal credit claimant” under regulation 6(2)(ba) if they have no change of circumstances and, after a change of circumstances, unless a decision is made that they are entitled to universal credit (in which case they would be a universal credit claimant under regulation 6(2)(a) of the Principal Regulations).