appropriate DHSS officemeans an office of the Department of Health and Social Security which is normally open to the public for the receipt of claims for income support and includes an office for the Department of Employment which is normally open to the public for the receipt of claims for unemployment benefit;
authoritymeans any of the authorities to which section 28(3) of the Act refers;
benefitmeans any benefit under the benefit Acts and any social fund payments such as are mentioned in section 32(2) of the Act;
claimantmeans a person claiming housing benefit;
partnermeans— (a) where a claimant is a member of a married or unmarried couple, the other member of that couple;
the Actmeans the Social Security Act 1986;
the Housing Benefit Regulationsmeans the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987;
the Income Support Regulationsmeans the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987;