Other housing costs
16.—(1) Subject to the deduction specified in sub-paragraph (2), there shall be met under this paragraph the amounts, calculated on a weekly basis, in respect of the following housing costs—
(a)ground rent;
(b)service charges;
(c)payments by way of rentcharge;
(d)where the dwelling occupied as the home is a tent, payments in respect of the tent and the site on which it stands.
(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), the deductions to be made from the weekly amounts to be met under this paragraph are—
(a)where the costs are inclusive of any of the items mentioned in paragraph 5(2) of Schedule 1 to the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(1) (payment in respect of fuel charges), the deductions prescribed in that paragraph unless the claimant provides evidence on which the actual or approximate amount of the service charge for fuel may be estimated, in which case the estimated amount;
(b)where the costs are inclusive of ineligible service charges within the meaning of paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (ineligible service charges) the amounts attributable to those ineligible service charges or where that amount is not separated from or separately identified within the housing costs to be met under this paragraph, such part of the payments made in respect of those housing costs which are fairly attributable to the provision of those ineligible services having regard to the costs of comparable services;
(c)any amount for repairs and improvements, and for this purpose the expression “repairs and improvements” has the same meaning it has in paragraph 15(2).
(3) Where arrangements are made for the housing costs, which are met under this paragraph and which are normally paid for a period of 52 weeks, to be paid instead for a period of 53 weeks, or to be paid irregularly, or so that no such costs are payable or collected in certain periods, or so that the costs for different periods in the year are of different amounts, the weekly amount shall be the amount payable for the year divided by 52.
(4) Where the claimant or a member of his family—
(a)pays for reasonable repairs or redecoration to be carried out to the dwelling they occupy;
(b)that work was not the responsibility of the claimant or any member of his family, and
(c)in consequence of that work being done, the costs which are normally met under this paragraph are waived,
then those costs shall, for a period not exceeding 8 weeks, be treated as payable.