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

Calculation of earnings of self-employed earners

35.—(1) Where a claimant’s earnings consist of earnings from employment as a self-employed earner, the weekly amount of his earnings shall be determined by reference to his average weekly earnings from that employment—

(a) over a period of one year; or

(b) where the claimant has recently become engaged in that employment or there has been a change which is likely to affect the normal pattern of business, over such other period (“computation period”) as may, in the particular case, enable the weekly amount of his earnings to be determined more accurately.

(2) For the purposes of determining the weekly amount of earnings of a claimant to whom paragraph (1)(b) applies, his earnings over the computation period shall be divided by the number equal to the number of days in that period and multiplying the quotient by 7.

(3) The period over which the weekly amount of a claimant’s earnings is calculated in accordance with this regulation shall be his assessment period.