The Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

1998 No. 252

HOUSING

The Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Made

20th July 1998

Coming into operation

10th August 1998

The Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 122(1)(d), 129(2) and 171(1), (3) and (4) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(1) and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and shall come into operation on 10th August 1998.

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

Amendment of Regulation 2 of the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 5) Regulations

2.  In regulation 2(2) of the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 5) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(3) (date the Regulations are to cease to have effect) for “31st October 1998” there shall be substituted “31st October 1999”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland on

L.S.

John O'Neill

Assistant Secretary

20th July 1998.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 5) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the 1997 Regulations”) which themselves amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (“the principal Regulations”).

The 1997 Regulations amend the principal Regulations so as to make service charges for general counselling and support eligible for housing benefit where the claimant occupies supported accommodation (as defined).

Regulation 2(2) of the 1997 Regulations provides that those Regulations shall cease to have effect on 31st October 1998. These Regulations amend regulation 2(2) of the 1997 Regulations so as to extend the period during which they have effect until 31st October 1999.

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Social Security in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8), are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.

(1)

1992 c. 7

(2)

1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

(3)

S.R. 1997 No. 376