The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1995

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971) (“the Housing Benefit Regulations”) and the Council Tax Benefit (General) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/1814) (“the Council Tax Benefit Regulations”).

As respects the Housing Benefit Regulations and the Council Tax Benefit Regulations, these Regulations—

(a) insert the definition of voluntary organisation and additionally substitute all references to voluntary bodies with voluntary organisations (regulations 2, 3, 6, 8, 13, 14, 15, 19 and 23);

(b) make provision regarding recognisable cycle of work in respect of school and other ancillary workers (regulations 4 and 16);

(c) make provision regarding prisoners on temporary release (regulations 5 and 17);

(d) expand the definition of child care charges (regulations 7 and 18);

(e) amend the calculation of a claimant’s notional income where he is working for a charitable or voluntary organisation or is a volunteer (regulations 8(b) and 19(b));

(f) make provision concerning the date housing benefit or council tax benefit ceases in relation to income support (regulations 9 and 20);

(g) make provision regarding withholding of benefit (regulations 10 and 21);

(h) make provision concerning abatement of attendance allowance (regulations 12 and 22).

As respects Housing Benefit Regulations only, these Regulations include excessive high rents provisions and require the authority to refer a dwelling for redetermination by the rent officer where there has been a change in the composition of the household (regulation 11).

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.