Section 137 — Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992: Interpretation of Part VII and supplementary provisions.

Interpretation of Part VII and supplementary provisions. 137 1 In this Part of this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— “ billing authority ” has the same meaning as in Part I of the Local Government Finance Act 1992; “ child ” means a person under the age of 16; “couple” means— two people who are married to, or civil partners of, each other and are members of the same household; or two people who are not married to, or civil partners of, each other but are living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners otherwise than in prescribed circumstances; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “ dwelling ” means any residential accommodation, whether or not consisting of the whole or part of a building and whether or not comprising separate and self-contained premises; “ family ” means—

a couple ; a couple and a member of the same household for whom one of them is or both are responsible and who is a child or a person of a prescribed description; except in prescribed circumstances, a person who is not a member of a couple and a member of the same household for whom that person is responsible and who is a child or a person of a prescribed description; “ income-based jobseeker’s allowance ” has the same meaning as in the Jobseekers Act 1995; “ industrial injuries scheme ” means a scheme made under Schedule 8 to this Act or section 159 of the 1975 Act or under the Old Cases Act; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “ local authority ” in relation to Scotland means a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “ pensionable age ” has the meaning given by the rules in paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 to the Pensions Act 1995 (c. 26); “ prescribed ”means specified in or determined in accordance with regulations; “ the qualifying age for state pension credit ” is (in accordance with section 1(2)(b) and (6) of the State Pension Credit Act 2002)—

in the case of a woman, pensionable age; or in the case of a man, the age which is pensionable age in the case of a woman born on the same day as the man; “ state pension credit ” means state pension credit under the State Pension Credit Act 2002; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “ war pension scheme ” means a scheme under which war pensions (as defined in section 25 of the Social Security Act 1989) are provided; “ week ”, in relation to council tax benefit , means a period of 7 days beginning with a Monday. 1A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 Regulations may make provision for the purposes of this Part of this Act—

a as to circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being in Great Britain;

b continuing a person’s entitlement to benefit during periods of temporary absence from Great Britain;

c as to what is or is not to be treated as remunerative work or as employment;

d as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as engaged or normally engaged in remunerative work;

e as to what is or is not to be treated as relevant education;

f as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as receiving relevant education;

g specifying the descriptions of pension increases under war pension schemes or industrial injuries schemes that are analogous to the benefits mentioned in section 129(2)(b)(i) to (iii) above;

h as to circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as occupying a dwelling as his home;

i for treating any person who is liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling as if he were not so liable;

j for treating any person who is not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling as if he were so liable;

k for treating as included in a dwelling any land used for the purposes of the dwelling;

l as to circumstances in which persons are to be treated as being or not being members of the same household;

m as to circumstances in which one person is to be treated as responsible or not responsible for another.