The Social Security (Coronavirus) (Further Measures) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

Local Housing Allowance

4.—(1) The Housing Benefit (Executive Determinations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008(1) are amended as follows—

(a) in regulation 3 (broad rental market determinations and local housing allowance determinations)—

(i) in paragraph (2A), at the end add “and also the 31st March 2020”;

(ii) in paragraph (3A), at the end add “, and the determinations made on the 31st March 2020 shall take effect (on 1st April 2020) in place of the determinations made on the 31st January 2020”;

(b) in the Schedule, for paragraph 2(2) (local housing allowance for category of dwelling in paragraph 1) substitute—

“(2) The local housing allowance for any category of dwelling is the lower of—

(a) the rent at the 30th percentile determined in accordance with sub-paragraphs (4) to (8); and

(b) for a category of dwelling listed in column 1 of the following table, the amount listed in column 2 of that table (maximum local housing allowance)—

1. Category of dwelling as specified in paragraph 1	2. Maximum local housing allowance for that category of dwelling
paragraph 1(1)(a) (one bedroom, shared accommodation)	£295.49
paragraph 1(1)(b) (one bedroom, exclusive use)	£295.49
paragraph 1(1)(c) (two bedrooms)	£365.92
paragraph 1(1)(d) (three bedrooms)	£441.86
paragraph 1(1)(e) (four bedrooms)	£593.75”.

(2) The Universal Credit Housing Costs (Executive Determinations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016(2) are amended as follows—

(a) in regulation 4 (local housing allowance determinations)—

(i) in paragraph (1) after “last working day of January” insert “and also the 31st March 2020”;

(ii) after paragraph (3) insert—

“(3A) The determinations made in accordance with paragraph (1) on 31st March 2020 shall take effect (under paragraph (3)) in place of the determinations made in accordance with paragraph (1) on the 31st January 2020.”;

(b) in Schedule 1 for paragraph 2(2) (local housing allowance for category of accommodation in paragraph 1) substitute—

“(2) The local housing allowance for any category of accommodation is the lower of—

(a) the rent at the 30th percentile determined in accordance with paragraph 3; and

(b) for a category of accommodation listed in column 1 of the following table, the amount listed in column 2 of that table (maximum local housing allowance)—

1. Category of accommodation as specified in paragraph 1	2. Maximum local housing allowance for that category of accommodation
paragraph 1(a) (one bedroom, shared accommodation)	£1,283.96
paragraph 1(b) (one bedroom, exclusive use)	£1,283.96
paragraph 1(c) (two bedrooms)	£1,589.99
paragraph 1(d) (three bedrooms)	£1,920.00
paragraph 1(e) (four bedrooms)	£2,579.98”.

(1)

S.R. 2008 No. 100; relevant amending Rules are SR 2012 No. 157, SR 2015 No.2 and SR 2020 No. 14.

(2)

S.R. 2016 No. 222.