Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Universal Credit (Tenant Incentive Scheme) Amendment Regulations 2017 and come into force on 30th April 2017.

Amendment of Schedule 4 to the Universal Credit Regulations 2013

2.—(1) Part 5 (social rented sector other than temporary accommodation) of Schedule 4 to the Universal Credit Regulations 2013(4) is amended as follows.

(2) For the italicised cross-heading above paragraph 31 (deduction from relevant payments of amounts relating to use of particular accommodation) substitute—

“Amount taken into account as the relevant payment”.

(3) After paragraph 32 (power to apply to a rent officer if relevant payment excessive) insert—

“Reduction under tenant incentive scheme

32A.—(1) Where a reduction in the rent or service charge payments for which a renter would otherwise have been liable is applied by a provider of social housing under an approved tenant incentive scheme, the amount of any relevant payment to be taken into account under paragraph 6 is to be determined as if no such reduction had been applied.

(2) In paragraph (1) “approved tenant incentive scheme” means a scheme which is—

(a)operated by a provider of social housing and designed to avoid rent arrears by allowing reductions in rent or service charges or other advantages in return for meeting specified conditions; and

(b)approved by the Secretary of State.”.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend Part 5 of Schedule 4 to the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/376), which provides for the calculation of the housing costs element in universal credit for claimants who are liable to pay rent to providers of social housing (other than temporary accommodation).

Regulation 2 inserts new paragraph 32A into Part 5 and substitutes a new cross-heading for paragraphs 31 to 32A.

The new paragraph 32A provides for any reduction in a claimant’s rent or service charges that has been applied by a provider of social housing under an incentive scheme approved by the Secretary of State to be disregarded in the calculation of the housing costs element.

No impact assessment has been carried out as these Regulations do not affect the private sector or civil society organisations.