PART 5

DISCRETIONARY HOUSING PAYMENTS

Local authorities’ power to make payments
88
1
A local authority has power to give financial assistance to a qualifying individual to meet, or help towards meeting, the individual’s housing costs.
2
In subsection (1), “qualifying individual” means an individual who—
a
is entitled to—
i
housing benefit, or
ii
an award of universal credit which includes an amount for rent, and
b
appears to the authority to need financial assistance under subsection (1) (in addition to any assistance of a kind mentioned in paragraph (a) which the individual receives) in order to meet housing costs.
3
For the purposes of subsection (2)(a)—
a
“housing benefit” means housing benefit provided by virtue of a scheme under section 123 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992,
b
an award of universal credit includes an amount for rent if—
i
the calculation of the award includes an amount under section 11 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, and
ii
that amount is included (wholly or partly) in respect of a liability to make payments within the meaning of paragraph 2 of schedule 1 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/376).
4
Financial assistance under this section may be given to an individual by way of—
a
payment to the individual,
b
payment to another person to meet, or contribute towards meeting, any liability the individual has to that person,
c
deduction from any liability the individual has to the authority giving the assistance which is connected to housing costs,
d
any combination of the ways mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.