12.—(1) Except where sub-paragraph (2) applies and subject to sub-paragraph (3) and paragraphs 33 and 34, £20 of any charitable payment or of any voluntary payment made or due to be made at regular intervals.
(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3) and paragraph 34, any charitable payment or voluntary payment made or due to be made at regular intervals which is intended and used for an item other than food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel, eligible rates or rent to which regulation 9 or 10 of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(1) refers, or both, of a single relevant person or, as the case may be, of the relevant person or any other member of his family.
(3) Sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply to a maintenance payment which is made or due to be made by—
(a)a former partner of the relevant person, or a former partner of any member of the relevant person’s family; or
(b)the parent of a child or young person where that child or young person is a member of the relevant person’s family.
(4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) where a number of charitable or voluntary payments fall to be taken into account in any one week they shall be treated as though they were one such payment.
(5) In sub-paragraph (2)—
(a)“rates or rents” means eligible rates or rents to which regulations 9 or 10, as the case may be, of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 refer, less any deductions in respect of non-dependants which fall to be made under regulation 63 (non-dependant deductions) of those regulations;
(b)“ordinary clothing or footwear” means clothing or footwear for normal daily use, but does not include school uniforms, or clothing or footwear used solely for sporting activities.
S.R. 1987 No. 461; the relevant amending regulations are S.R. 1988 No. 424, S.R. 1990 No. 297, S.R. 1990 No. 442, S.R. 1993 No. 145, S.R. 1993 No. 149 and S.R. 1996 No. 111