2020 No. 1519

Housing

The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2020

Made

Laid before Parliament

Coming into force

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 122(1) and (6) of the Housing Act 19961, makes the following Order.

Citation and Commencement1

This Order may be cited as the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2020 and comes into force on 28th January 2021.

Modifications to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 19972

For the purposes of determining the local housing allowances in 2021, Schedule 3B (broad rental market area determinations and local housing allowance determinations) to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 19972 is to be read as if for paragraph 2(2) there were substituted—

2

For all broad rental market areas the local housing allowance for a category of dwelling is the allowance determined for that category of dwelling on 31st March 2020.

Modifications to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 19973

For the purposes of determining the local housing allowances in 2021, Schedule 3B (broad rental market area determinations and local housing allowance determinations) to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 19973 is to be read as if for paragraph 2(2) there were substituted—

2

For all broad rental market areas the local housing allowance for a category of dwelling is the allowance determined for that category of dwelling on 31st March 2020.

Modifications to the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 20134

For the purposes of determining the local housing allowances in 2021, Schedule 1 (local housing allowance determinations) to the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 20134 is to be read as if for paragraph 2(2) there were substituted—

2

For all broad rental market areas the local housing allowance for a category of accommodation is the allowance determined for that category of accommodation on 31st March 2020.

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

Will QuinceParliamentary Under Secretary of StateDepartment of Work and Pensions
EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order modifies the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/1984), the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/1995) and the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/382) to make changes to how the local housing allowance is determined.

Articles 2, 3 and 4 modify the above Orders to provide that, for all broad rental market areas, the local housing allowance for a category of dwelling or accommodation is the allowance determined for that category of dwelling or accommodation on 31st March 2020. The modification will apply for the purposes of determining local housing allowances in 2021.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.