The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

PART XIDecisions on questions

Decisions by a relevant authority

85.—(1) Unless provided otherwise by these Regulations, any matter required to be determined under these Regulations shall be determined in the first instance by the relevant authority.

(2) The relevant authority shall make a decision on each claim within 14 days of the provisions of regulations 81 and 82 being satisfied or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions of this regulation, in a case where a person—

(a)made the notification specified in paragraph 2 of Schedule 8 within 14 days from the day immediately after the day on which his entitlement to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance ceased (“the appropriate day”) and is treated as having claimed an extended payment under regulation 70(2); and

(b)has made a claim, which meets the requirements of regulation 81(1), (6) and (9), within 14 days of the appropriate day,

the relevant authority shall give priority to that claim over other claims which do not fall within the provisions of this paragraph.

Notification of decisions

86.—(1) An authority shall notify in writing any person affected by a decision made by it under these Regulations—

(a)in the case of a decision on a claim, forthwith or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter;

(b)in any other case, within 14 days of that decision or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter,

and every notification shall include a statement as to the matters set out in Schedule 10.

(2) A person affected to whom an authority sends or delivers a notification of decision may, by notice in writing signed by him, request the authority to provide a written statement setting out the reasons for its decision on any matter set out in the notice.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), where a person affected who requests a written statement is not an individual, the notice in writing referred to in that paragraph shall be signed by a person over the age of 18 who is authorised to act on that person’s behalf.

(4) The written statement referred to in paragraph (2) shall be sent to the person requesting it within 14 days or as soon as is reasonably practical thereafter.