26.—(1) The Housing Act 2004(1) is amended as follows.
(2) In section 141(1)(b), for “husband or wife” substitute “a married couple or civil partners”.
(3) In section 142(1)(b), for “husband or wife” substitute “a married couple or civil partners”.
(4) In section 258−
(a)in subsection (3)(a), for the words from “each other” to the end substitute “, or civil partners of, each other or live together as if they were a married couple or civil partners”;
(b)in subsection (4)(a), omit “are married to each other or otherwise”.
(5) In section 259(3), in the words after paragraph (b), for “to whom they are or were married” substitute “who are or were their spouses or civil partners”.