On June 27, 2025, the Executive Council approved amendments to the Social Security Regulations of 2011. These changes focus on improving the system for Income Related Benefits (IRB) and the Basic Island Pension (BIP), aiming to create a fairer and more responsive framework for beneficiaries.
The amendments cover several key areas:
For Category 3 claimants, IRB will now be paid for up to 30 days while overseas, after which payments will stop. Individuals receiving a stipend during overseas medical referrals from the Health & Social Care Portfolio will not see an immediate impact on their IRB. However, their IRB will decrease to 30% of its usual amount after 42 days.
When hospitalised on St Helena, individuals’ IRB will be reduced to 30% after 42 days. Meanwhile, BIP payments will continue beyond the current 42-day rule for those hospitalised on the island.
IRB will be discontinued after 42 days in formal residential care where living costs are covered by the care provider. Parents under age 19 with a child in full-time government education will be considered independent family units eligible for IRB.
To encourage part-time work, the weekly disregard under Regulation 8 has increased from £10 to £30. If IRB clients temporarily reside with relatives or friends due to health or social reasons, their main home won’t count towards income calculations for up to six months.
For applicants with immovable property that cannot immediately generate income or be liquidated, this property can be disregarded for six months before affecting IRB payments. Compensation payments related to personal injury are also disregarded if kept separate from other assets.
As part of the budget process for 2025/26, Ministers announced an increase in BIP’s basic rate from £80.60 to £85 per week. This change reflects a commitment to supporting pensioners on the island. Recipients of BIP will receive individual letters detailing their new weekly amounts.
These changes took effect on July 1, 2025. For further information regarding these implementations, individuals are encouraged to contact the Benefits Office at phone number: “22605”.