The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

PART VIIIAmount of benefit

Maximum housing benefit

68.  The amount of a person’s appropriate maximum housing benefit in any week shall be—

(a)100 per cent. of his eligible rent calculated on a weekly basis in accordance with regulations 78 and 79; and

(b)100 per cent. of his eligible rates calculated on a weekly basis in accordance with those regulations,

less, in either case, any deductions in respect of non-dependants which fall to be made under regulation 72.

Housing benefit tapers

69.  The prescribed percentages for the purpose of section 129(3)(b) of the Act (percentage of excess of income over applicable amount which is deducted from maximum housing benefit) shall be—

(a)in calculating the amount of a rate rebate, 20 per cent.; and

(b)in calculating the amount of a rent rebate or allowance, 65 per cent.

Extended payments

70.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (7) and (8), paragraph (2) shall apply where—

(a)a person ceases to be entitled to housing benefit—

(i)in accordance with regulation 75, and

(ii)the conditions referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 8 are satisfied in his case; or

(b)a person ceases to be entitled to housing benefit because he has vacated the dwelling which he occupied as his home and the day on which he did so was either in the week in which he took up employment as an employed or self-employed earner, or in the preceding week, and—

(i)he ceased to be entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance by reason of taking up employment as an employed or self-employed earner, and

(ii)the conditions referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 8 are satisfied in his case.

(2) A person to whom paragraph (1) applies shall be treated as having made a claim under this regulation and his housing benefit shall be determined in accordance with Part II of Schedule 8 and any award so determined shall be referred to in these Regulations as an “extended payment”.

(3) For the purposes of any payment pursuant to this regulation—

(a)except in a case to which paragraph 7(b) of Schedule 8 applies, the maximum housing benefit of any person mentioned in paragraph (1) shall be that which was applicable to him in the last benefit week of the award of housing benefit which has ceased as mentioned in paragraph (1);

(b)the maximum housing benefit of any person to whom paragraph 7(b) of Schedule 8 applies shall be determined in accordance with paragraph 8 of that Schedule; and

(c)any person who meets the requirements of paragraph (1) shall be treated as possessing no income or capital.

(4) Regulations 80, 81 and 82 shall not apply to a claim pursuant to this regulation and, subject to regulation 78(7), Part IX shall not apply to any payment under it.

(5) In paragraph (1)(a) and (b), references to a “person” include references to a person’s partner.

(6) In a case where a payment has been made under this regulation—

(a)the beneficiary shall be treated for the purposes of these Regulations or, in a case to which regulation 5(2) applies, of the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(1) as though he were entitled to and in receipt of housing benefit—

(i)during the 4 weeks immediately following the last day of his entitlement to housing benefit, or

(ii)until the date on which his liability for rent or rates or both ends,

whichever occurs first; and

(b)any claim for housing benefit made by the beneficiary within the period which under sub-paragraph (a) applies in his case or the 4 weeks thereafter shall be treated as having been made in respect of a period beginning immediately after the end of his previous award of housing benefit.

(7) This regulation shall not apply to a claimant where, on the day before his entitlement to income support ceased, regulation 6(5) of the Income Support Regulations (remunerative work: housing costs) applied to him.

(8) In paragraph (6), “these Regulations” includes the Regulations as modified by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 3 to the Consequential Provisions Regulations.

Extended payments (severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit)

71.—(1) Paragraph (2) shall apply where—

(a)a person ceases to be entitled to housing benefit—

(i)in accordance with regulation 76, and

(ii)the condition referred to in paragraph 1 of Schedule 9 is satisfied in his case; or

(b)a person ceases to be entitled to housing benefit because he has vacated the dwelling which he occupied as his home and the day on which he did so was either in the week in which he took up employment as an employed or self-employed earner, or in the preceding week, and—

(i)he ceased to be entitled to severe disablement allowance or incapacity benefit by reason of taking up employment as an employed or self-employed earner;

(ii)he had been entitled to and in receipt of severe disablement allowance, incapacity benefit or a combination of severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks;

(iii)he was not entitled to and in receipt of income support, and

(iv)the condition referred to in paragraph 1 of Schedule 9 is satisfied in his case.

(2) A person to whom paragraph (1) applies shall be treated as having made a claim under this regulation and his housing benefit shall be determined in accordance with Schedule 9 and any award so determined shall be referred to in these Regulations as an “extended payment (severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit)”.

(3) For the purposes of any payment pursuant to this regulation—

(a)except in a case to which sub-paragraph (b) applies the maximum housing benefit of any person mentioned in paragraph (1) shall be that which was applicable to him in the last week of the award of housing benefit which has ceased as mentioned in paragraph (1);

(b)the maximum housing benefit of any person the amount of whose extended payment (severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit) is calculated in accordance with paragraph 6(b)(i) of Schedule 9 shall be determined in accordance with paragraph 7 of that Schedule;

(c)except in a case to which sub-paragraph (d) applies, any person who meets the requirements of paragraph (1) shall be treated as possessing the same amounts of income and capital as they possessed in the last week of the award of housing benefit which has ceased as mentioned in paragraph (1); and

(d)any person whose maximum housing benefit is determined in accordance with paragraph 7 of Schedule 9 shall be treated as possessing no income or capital.

(4) Regulations 80, 81 and 82 shall not apply to a claim pursuant to this regulation and, subject to regulation 78(7), Part IX shall not apply to any payment under it.

(5) In paragraph (1), references to a “person” include references to a person’s partner and references to taking up employment include receiving remuneration for employment or an increased amount of remuneration for employment or engaging in employment for an increased number of hours.

(6) In a case where payment has been made under this regulation—

(a)the beneficiary shall be treated for the purpose of these Regulations as though he were entitled to and in receipt of housing benefit—

(i)during the 4 weeks immediately following the last day of his entitlement to housing benefit, or

(ii)until the date on which his liability for rent or rates or both ends,

whichever occurs first; and

(b)any claim for housing benefit made by the beneficiary within the period which under sub-paragraph (a) applies in his case or the 4 weeks thereafter shall be treated as having been made in respect of a period beginning immediately after the end of his previous award of housing benefit.

(7) In paragraph (6), “these Regulations” includes the Regulations as modified by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 3 to the Consequential Provisions Regulations.

Non-dependant deductions

72.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, the deductions referred to in regulation 68 shall be—

(a)in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over in remunerative work—

(i)in calculating the amount of a rent rebate or allowance, £47.75 per week;

(ii)in calculating the amount of a rate rebate, £6.95 per week;

(b)in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over to whom sub-paragraph (a) does not apply—

(i)in calculating the amount of a rent rebate or allowance, £7.40 per week;

(ii)in calculating the amount of a rate rebate, £2.30 per week.

(2) In the case of a non-dependant aged 18 or over to whom paragraph (1)(a) applies because he is in remunerative work, where it is shown to the appropriate authority that his normal weekly gross income is—

(a)less than £106.00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be that specified in paragraph (1)(b)(i);

(b)not less than £106.00 but less than £157.00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be £17.00;

(c)not less than £157.00 but less than £204.00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be £23.35;

(d)not less than £204.00 but less than £271.00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be £38.20;

(e)not less than £271.00 but less than £338.00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be £43.50;

(f)less than £157.00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rate rebate shall be that specified in paragraph (1)(b)(ii);

(g)not less that £157.00 but less than £271.00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rate rebate shall be £4.60;

(h)not less than £271.00 but less than £338.00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rate rebate shall be £5.80.

(3) Only one deduction shall be made under this regulation in respect of a couple or, as the case may be, members of a polygamous marriage and, where, but for this paragraph, the amount that would fall to be deducted in respect of one member of a couple or polygamous marriage is higher than the amount (if any) that would fall to be deducted in respect of the other, or any other, member, the higher amount shall be deducted.

(4) In applying the provisions of paragraph (2) in the case of a couple or, as the case may be, a polygamous marriage, regard shall be had, for the purpose of paragraph (2) to the couple’s or, as the case may be, all members of the polygamous marriage’s joint weekly gross income.

(5) Where a person is a non-dependant in respect of more than one joint occupier of a dwelling (except where the joint occupiers are a couple or members of a polygamous marriage), the deduction in respect of that non-dependant shall be apportioned between the joint occupiers (the amount so apportioned being rounded to the nearest penny) having regard to the number of joint occupiers and the proportion of the payments in respect of the dwelling payable by each of them.

(6) No deduction shall be made in respect of any non-dependants occupying a claimant’s dwelling if the claimant or his partner is—

(a)blind or treated as blind by virtue of paragraph 13 of Schedule 4; or

(b)receiving in respect of himself either—

(i)attendance allowance, or

(ii)the care component of the disability living allowance.

(7) No deduction shall be made in respect of a non-dependant if—

(a)although he resides with the claimant, it appears to the appropriate authority that his normal home is elsewhere;

(b)he is in receipt of a training allowance paid in connection with a Jobskills programme established under section 1(1) of the 1950 Act(2);

(c)he is a full-time student during a period of study within the meaning of Part VII;

(d)he is a full-time student and during a recognised summer vacation appropriate to his course he is not in remunerative work;

(e)he is a full-time student and the claimant or his partner has attained the age of 65; or

(f)he is not residing with the claimant because he has been a patient for a period in excess of 52 weeks, or a prisoner, and for these purposes—

(i)“patient” has the meaning given in paragraph (18) of regulation 7;

(ii)where a person has been a patient for 2 or more distinct periods separated by one or more intervals each not exceeding 28 days, he shall be treated as having been a patient continuously for a period equal in duration to the total of those distinct periods, and

(iii)“prisoner” means a person who is detained in custody pending trial or sentence upon conviction or under a sentence imposed by a court other than a person who is detained in hospital under the Mental Health (Northern Ireland ) Order 1986(3).

(8) No deduction shall be made in calculating the amount of—

(a)a rent rebate or allowance in respect of a non-dependant aged less than 25 who is on income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance;

(b)a rate rebate in respect of a non-dependant who is on income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance.

(9) In the case of a non-dependant to whom paragraph (2) applies because he is in remunerative work, there shall be disregarded from his weekly gross income—

(a)any attendance allowance or disability living allowance received by him;

(b)any payment made under the Macfarlane Trust, the Macfarlane (Special Payments) Trust, the Macfarlane (Special Payments) (No. 2) Trust, the Fund, the Eileen Trust or the Independent Living Funds which had his income fallen to be calculated under regulation 37 would have been disregarded under paragraph 24 of Schedule 6; and

(c)any payment which had his income fallen to be calculated under regulation 37 would have been disregarded under paragraph 37 of Schedule 6.

(10) No deduction shall be made in respect of a non-dependant who is on state pension credit.

Minimum housing benefit

73.  Where housing benefit is payable in the form of a rent rebate or allowance, it shall not be payable where the amount to which a person would otherwise be entitled is less than 50 pence per benefit week.