Social services

Income support for housing benefits support for purpose of acquiring larger house support available only to meet needs for sleeping accommodation for children of family...Income support for housing benefits support for purpose of acquiring larger house support available only to meet needs for sleeping accommodation for children of family court not entitled to inquire into statement made in ParliamentSaleem v Secretary of State for Social Security: CA (Mantell, Hale LJJ and Cresswell J): 18 January 2001The applicant was on income support and living with his wife, four sons and four daughters in a three-bedroom house.

On 2 May 1994 section 5A of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987, schedule 3, came into force limiting support for any additional interest incurred to solely to meet needs to provide separate sleeping accommodation for children of different sexes aged 10 or older who were part of the family.

On 10 May 1994, the applicant moved to a larger three-bedroom property and claimed support for the increased interest incurred.

A social security tribunal refused his claim.

On appeal he said the change met his need for larger accom-modation.

The Social Security Commissioner dismissed the applicants appeal.

The applicant appealed.Sarah Elliott (instructed by J M Wilson, Birmingham) for the applicant; David Forsdick (instructed by Dominic Van der Wal (of DSS)) for the Secretary of State.Held, dismissing the appeal, that the condition required for the support for the increased interest by acquisition a larger property was not met by the applicant since the change did not meet the need to provide separate accommodation for the children.