The Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2003.

(2) In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(1).

(3) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(2) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Amendment to regulation 2 of the principal Regulations

2.  In regulation 2(1) of the principal Regulations (interpretation) for the definition of “designated office”(3) there shall be substituted the following definition –

““designated office” means the office designated by the relevant authority for the receipt of claims to housing benefit, either –

(a)

by notice upon or with a form approved by it for the purpose of claiming housing benefit;

(b)

by reference upon or with such a form to some other document available from it and sent by electronic means or otherwise on application and without charge, or

(c)

by any combination of the provisions set out in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b);”.

Amendment to regulation 72 of the principal Regulations

3.—(1) Regulation 72 of the principal Regulations (time and manner in which claims are to be made) shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) For paragraph (4)(c)(4) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph –

“(c) sent or delivered to the appropriate office shall be forwarded to the relevant authority within 2 working days of the date of the receipt of the claim at the appropriate office or as soon as practicable thereafter;”.

(3) In paragraph (5)(b)(5), for “or a jobseeker’s allowance” there shall be substituted “an income-based jobseeker’s allowance”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 17th February 2003.

L.S.

John O'Neill

Senior Officer of the

Department for Social Development

The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby consents to the foregoing Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 18th February 2003.

L.S.

Rodney Scott

Senior Officer of the

Department of Finance and Personnel