The Housing Benefit (General) (Local Housing Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2005

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit (General) (Local Housing Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2005.

(2) This regulation and regulation 2 shall come into force on 13th March 2005.

(3) Regulation 3 shall come into force—

(a) in relation to the area of a relevant authority specified in the Schedule to these Regulations; and

(b) in relation to that relevant authority,

on the date specified in that Schedule in relation to that relevant authority.

(4) In these Regulations—

(a) “the 2003 Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) (Local Housing Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2003(1);

(b) “the principal Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987(2); and

(c) “relevant authority” has the meaning specified in regulation 2(1) of the principal Regulations.

Amendment of Schedule 8 of the principal Regulations

2.  In the list of pathfinder authorities and commencement dates specified in Part I of Schedule 8 to the principal Regulations (commencement date in relation to each pathfinder authority), insert at the appropriate places in alphabetical order the following entries—

Argyll and Bute	30th May 2005
East Riding of Yorkshire	18th April 2005
Guildford	4th July 2005
Norwich	13th June 2005
Pembrokeshire	20th June 2005
St Helens	23rd May 2005
Salford	25th July 2005
South Norfolk	6th June 2005
Wandsworth	11th April 2005.

Additional pathfinder authorities

3.  The principal Regulations, the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1995(3) and the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 2001(4) shall apply in relation to the area of a relevant authority specified in the Schedule to these Regulations as they apply in the area of a relevant authority specified in Schedule 1 to the 2003 Regulations .

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Chris Pond

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,

Department for Work and Pensions

7 February 2005