The Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

PART VII Amount of benefit

Maximum housing benefit

48.  The amount of a person’s appropriate maximum housing benefit in any week shall be—

(a) 100 per cent. of his eligible rent calculated on a weekly basis in accordance with regulations 59 and 60; and

(b) 100 per cent. of his eligible rates calculated on a weekly basis in accordance with those Regulations,

less, in either case, any deductions in respect of non-dependants which fall to be made under regulation 53.

Housing benefit tapers

49.  The prescribed percentages for the purpose of section 129(3)(b) of the Act (percentage of excess of income over applicable amount which is deducted from maximum housing benefit) shall be—

(a) in calculating the amount of a rate rebate, 20 per cent.; and

(b) in calculating the amount of a rent rebate or allowance, 65 per cent.

Reduction where amount payable under regulation 70 of the Housing Benefit Regulations

50.  Where for any week—

(a) a person is entitled to a payment in accordance with regulation 70 of the Housing Benefit Regulations (an “extended payment”); and

(b) he also claims and is awarded housing benefit,

then the amount of the housing benefit payable in respect of that week shall be reduced by a sum equal to the amount of the extended payment and only the balance (if any) shall be payable to him for that week.

Extended payments (severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit)

51.—(1) Except in a case in which a person is in receipt of state pension credit, paragraph (2) shall apply where—

(a) a person ceases to be entitled to housing benefit—

(i) in accordance with regulation 56, and

(ii) the condition referred to in paragraph 1 of Schedule 8 is satisfied in his case; or

(b) a person ceases to be entitled to housing benefit because he has vacated the dwelling which he occupied as his home and the day on which he did so was either in the week in which he took up employment as an employed or self-employed earner, or in the preceding week, and—

(i) he ceased to be entitled to severe disablement allowance or incapacity benefit by reason of taking up employment as an employed or self-employed earner;

(ii) he had been entitled to and in receipt of severe disablement allowance, incapacity benefit or a combination of severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks;

(iii) he was not entitled to and in receipt of income support, and

(iv) the condition referred to in paragraph 1 of Schedule 8 is satisfied in his case.

(2) A person to whom paragraph (1) applies shall be treated as having made a claim under this regulation and his housing benefit shall be determined in accordance with Schedule 8 and any award so determined shall be referred to in these Regulations as an “extended payment (severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit)”.

(3) For the purposes of any payment pursuant to this regulation—

(a) except in a case to which sub-paragraph (b) applies the maximum housing benefit of any person mentioned in paragraph (1) shall be that which was applicable to him in the last week of the award of housing benefit which has ceased as mentioned in paragraph (1);

(b) the maximum housing benefit of any person the amount of whose extended payment (severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit) is calculated in accordance with paragraph 6(b)(i) of Schedule 8 shall be determined in accordance with paragraph 7 of that Schedule;

(c) except in a case to which sub-paragraph (d) applies, any person who meets the requirements of paragraph (1) shall be treated as possessing the same amounts of income and capital as they possessed in the last week of the award of housing benefit which has ceased as mentioned in paragraph (1); and

(d) any person whose maximum housing benefit is determined in accordance with paragraph 7 of Schedule 8 shall be treated as possessing no income or capital.

(4) Regulations 61, 62 and 63 shall not apply to a claim pursuant to this regulation and, subject to regulation 59(8) and Part VIII shall not apply to any payment under it.

(5) In paragraph (1), references to a “person” include references to a person’s partner and references to taking up employment include receiving remuneration for employment or an increased amount of remuneration for employment or engaging in employment for an increased number of hours.

(6) In a case where payment has been made under this regulation—

(a) the beneficiary shall be treated for the purpose of these Regulations as though he were entitled to and in receipt of housing benefit—

(i) during the 4 weeks immediately following the last day of his entitlement to housing benefit, or

(ii) until the date on which his liability for rent or rates or both ends,

whichever occurs first; and

(b) any claim for housing benefit made by the beneficiary within the period which under sub-paragraph (a) applies in his case or the 4 weeks thereafter shall be treated as having been made in respect of a period beginning immediately after the end of his previous award of housing benefit.

(7) In paragraph (6), “these Regulations” includes the Regulations as modified by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 3 to the Consequential Provisions Regulations.

Continuing payments where state pension credit claimed

52.—(1) This regulation applies where—

(a) the claimant is entitled to housing benefit;

(b) paragraph (2) is satisfied; and

(c) either—

(i) the claimant has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit or, if his entitlement to income-based jobseeker’s allowance continued beyond that age, has attained the age of 65, or

(ii) the claimant’s partner has actually claimed state pension credit.

(2) This regulation is only satisfied if the Department has certified to the relevant authority that the claimant’s partner has actually claimed state pension credit or that—

(a) the claimant’s award of—

(i) income support has terminated because the claimant has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit, or

(ii) income-based jobseeker’s allowance has terminated because the claimant has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit or the age of 65; and

(b) the claimant has claimed or is treated as having claimed or is required to make a claim for state pension credit.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), in a case to which this regulation applies, housing benefit shall continue to be paid for the period of 4 weeks beginning on the day following the day the claimant’s entitlement to income support or, as the case may be, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, ceased, if and for so long as the claimant otherwise satisfies the conditions for entitlement to housing benefit.

(4) Where housing benefit is paid for the period of 4 weeks in accordance with paragraph (3), and the last day of that period falls on a day other than the last day of a benefit week, then housing benefit shall continue to be paid until the end of the benefit week in which the last day of that period falls.

(5) Throughout the period of 4 weeks specified in paragraph (3) and any further period specified in paragraph (4)—

(a) the whole of the income and capital of the claimant shall be disregarded;

(b) subject to paragraph (6) the appropriate maximum housing benefit of the claimant shall be that which was applicable in his case immediately before that period commenced.

(6) The appropriate maximum housing benefit shall be calculated in accordance with regulation 48 if, since the date it was last calculated—

(a) the claimant’s rent or rates or both have increased; or

(b) a change in the deduction under regulation 53 falls to be made.

Non-dependant deductions

53.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, the deductions referred to in regulation 48 shall be—

(a) in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over in remunerative work—

(i) in calculating the amount of a rent rebate or allowance, £47.75 per week;

(ii) in calculating the amount of a rate rebate, £6.95 per week;

(b) in respect of a non-dependant aged 18 or over to whom sub-paragraph (a) does not apply—

(i) in calculating the amount of a rent rebate or allowance, £7.40 per week;

(ii) in calculating the amount of a rate rebate, £2.30 per week.

(2) In the case of a non-dependant aged 18 or over to whom paragraph (1)(a) applies because he is in remunerative work, where it is shown to the appropriate authority that his normal weekly gross income is—

(a) less than £106∙00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be that specified in paragraph (1)(b)(i);

(b) not less than £106∙00 but less than £157∙00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be £17∙00;

(c) not less than £157∙00 but less than £204∙00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be £23∙35;

(d) not less than £204∙00 but less than £271∙00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be £38∙20;

(e) not less than £271∙00 but less than £338∙00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rent rebate or allowance shall be £43∙50;

(f) less than £157∙00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rate rebate shall be that specified in paragraph (1)(b)(ii);

(g) not less that £157∙00 but less than £271∙00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rate rebate shall be £4∙60;

(h) not less than £271∙00 but less than £338∙00, the deduction to be made under this regulation in respect of a rate rebate shall be £5∙80.

(3) Only one deduction shall be made under this regulation in respect of a couple or, as the case may be, members of a polygamous marriage and, where, but for this paragraph, the amount that would fall to be deducted in respect of one member of a couple or polygamous marriage is higher than the amount (if any) that would fall to be deducted in respect of the other, or any other, member, the higher amount shall be deducted.

(4) In applying the provisions of paragraph (2) in the case of a couple or, as the case may be, a polygamous marriage, regard shall be had, for the purpose of paragraph (2) to the couple’s or, as the case may be, all members of the polygamous marriage’s joint weekly gross income.

(5) Where a person is a non-dependant in respect of more than one joint occupier of a dwelling (except where the joint occupiers are a couple or members of a polygamous marriage), the deduction in respect of that non-dependant shall be apportioned between the joint occupiers (the amount so apportioned being rounded to the nearest penny) having regard to the number of joint occupiers and the proportion of the payments in respect of the dwelling payable by each of them.

(6) No deduction shall be made in respect of any non-dependants occupying a claimant’s dwelling if the claimant or his partner is—

(a) blind or treated as blind by virtue of paragraph 6(5) of Schedule 4; or

(b) receiving in respect of himself either—

(i) attendance allowance, or

(ii) the care component of the disability living allowance.

(7) No deduction shall be made in respect of a non-dependant if—

(a) although he resides with the claimant, it appears to the appropriate authority that his normal home is elsewhere;

(b) he is in receipt of a training allowance paid in connection with a Jobskills programme established under section 1(1) of the 1950 Act(1);

(c) he is a full-time student during a period of study within the meaning of regulation 50(1) of the Housing Benefit Regulations (students);

(d) he is a full-time student and during a recognised summer vacation appropriate to his course he is not in remunerative work;

(e) he is a full-time student and the claimant or his partner has attained the age of 65; or

(f) he is not residing with the claimant because he has been a patient for a period in excess of 52 weeks, or a prisoner, and for these purposes—

(i) “patient” has the meaning given in paragraph (18) of regulation 7;

(ii) where a person has been a patient for 2 or more distinct periods separated by one or more intervals each not exceeding 28 days, he shall be treated as having been a patient continuously for a period equal in duration to the total of those distinct periods, and

(iii) “prisoner” means a person who is detained in custody pending trial or sentence upon conviction or under a sentence imposed by a court other than a person who is detained in hospital under the Mental Health (Northern Ireland ) Order 1986(2).

(8) No deduction shall be made in calculating the amount of—

(a) a rent rebate or allowance in respect of a non-dependant aged less than 25 who is on income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance;

(b) a rate rebate in respect of a non-dependant who is on income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance.

(9) No deduction shall be made in respect of a non-dependant who is on state pension credit.

(10) In the case of a non-dependant to whom paragraph (2) applies because he is in remunerative work, there shall be disregarded from his weekly gross income—

(a) any attendance allowance or disability living allowance received by him;

(b) any payment made under the Macfarlane Trust, the Macfarlane (Special Payments) Trust, the Macfarlane (Special Payments) (No. 2) Trust, the Fund, the Eileen Trust or the Independent Living Funds which had his income fallen to be calculated under regulation 37 of the Housing Benefit Regulations (calculation of income other than earnings) would have been disregarded under paragraph 24 of Schedule 6 to those Regulations (income in kind); and

(c) any payment which had his income fallen to be calculated under regulation 37 of the Housing Benefit Regulations would have been disregarded under paragraph 37 of Schedule 6 to those Regulations (payments made under certain trusts and certain other payments).

Minimum housing benefit

54.  Where housing benefit is payable in the form of a rent rebate or allowance, it shall not be payable where the amount to which a person would otherwise be entitled is less than 50 pence per benefit week.

(1)

Section 1 was amended by Article 3 of the Employment and Training (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988/1087 (N.I. 10)) and Article 5 of the Industrial Training (Northern Ireland) Order 1990 (S.I. 1990/1200 (N.I. 8))

(2)

S.I. 1986/595 (N.I. 4)