The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 (Commencement No. 13 and Savings and Transitional Provisions and Commencement No. 8 and Transitional and Transitory Provisions (Amendment)) Order 2019

Transitional provision: termination of awards of housing benefit

6.—(1) The awards of housing benefit referred to in paragraph (2) are to terminate on the day referred to in paragraph (3), subject to paragraph (4).

(2) The awards are those where entitlement under the Housing Benefit SPC Regulations as part of a mixed-age couple begins on or after the appointed day and where the awards are made—

(a) at any time, under the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(1) or the Housing Benefit SPC Regulations, to a person who, after the award, becomes a member of a mixed-age couple;

(b) at any time, under the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, to a person who is a member of a mixed-age couple, where the award subsequently ceases to be subject to those Regulations and becomes subject to the Housing Benefit SPC Regulations; or

(c) on or before the day of making of this Order, to a person who claimed in advance of attaining the qualifying age for state pension credit.

(3) The termination takes effect—

(a) in the case of an award referred to in paragraph (2)(a) or (b), on the later of the appointed day and the day entitlement under the Housing Benefit SPC Regulations as part of a mixed-age couple takes effect on the award, as a change of circumstances, in accordance with the Housing Benefit (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001(2); or

(b) in the case of an award referred to in paragraph (2)(c), on the day after the day of making of this Order.

(4) Paragraph (1) does not apply to awards in respect of specified accommodation or temporary accommodation, as defined in Article 24(11) of the No. 8 Order(3).

(1)

S.R. 2006 No. 405.

(2)

S.R. 2001 No. 213.

(3)

The definition of “temporary accommodation” is inserted by Article 4(2) of this Order.