The Social Security (Bereavement Benefits Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Amendment of the Housing Benefit Regulations

4.—(1) The Housing Benefit Regulations shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) In Schedule 2 (applicable amounts)—

(a)in paragraph 4(1) (premiums) for “paragraphs 9 to 14ZA” there shall be substituted “paragraphs 8A to 14ZA”;

(b)immediately before paragraph 9 there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“Bereavement Premium

8A.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), the condition is that the claimant—

(a)had, as at 9th April 2001, attained the age of 55 but not the age of 60;

(b)was in receipt of, but is no longer entitled to, a bereavement allowance under section 39B of the Contributions and Benefits Act in respect of the death of a spouse who died on or after 9th April 2001, and

(c)is claiming housing benefit as a single claimant.

(2) A premium under sub-paragraph (1) shall, except in a case to which sub-paragraph (4) applies, not be applicable in respect of a claimant who claims housing benefit more than 8 weeks after the last day on which he was entitled to a bereavement allowance.

(3) Where a claimant to whom a premium under sub-paragraph (1) is applicable, ceases to be entitled to housing benefit or to be a single claimant, a premium under sub-paragraph (1) shall only again be applicable to that claimant where he claims housing benefit as a single claimant no more than 8 weeks after the date on which he ceased to be entitled to housing benefit or, as the case may be, to be a single claimant.

(4) Where a premium under sub-paragraph (1) becomes applicable to a claimant, it shall again be applicable to that claimant where he claims housing benefit as a single claimant at the end of the benefit period in which it first became applicable and at the end of each subsequent benefit period provided, where he ceases to be a single claimant during the course of any benefit period, he does not cease to be a single claimant for more than 8 weeks.”;

(c)immediately before sub-paragraph (2) in the table in paragraph 15 (amounts of premiums specified in Part III) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph respectively in each column—

(3) In Schedule 4 (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings)—

(a)after paragraph 14 there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“14A.  Subject to paragraph 35, £15 of any—

(a)widowed mother’s allowance paid pursuant to section 37 of the Contributions and Benefits Act;

(b)widowed parent’s allowance paid pursuant to section 39A of the Contributions and Benefits Act.”;

(b)in paragraph 35(2) for “paragraphs 15” there shall be substituted “paragraphs 14A, 15”.