The Housing Renewal Grants (Prescribed Form and Particulars and Welsh Form and Particulars) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2000

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2000 No. 1735 (W. 119 )

HOUSING, WALES

The Housing Renewal Grants (Prescribed Form and Particulars and Welsh Form and Particulars) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2000

Made

20th June 2000

Coming into force in accordance with Regulation 1(1)

The National Assembly for Wales makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers given to the Secretary of State by sections 2(2) and (4) and 146(1) of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996(1) as extended by section 26(3) of the Welsh Language Act 1993(2) which are now vested in the National Assembly for Wales so far as exercisable in Wales(3).

Citation, commencement and application

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Renewal Grants (Prescribed Form and Particulars and Welsh Form and Particulars) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2000 and shall come into force 14 days after the day on which they are made.

(2) These Regulations apply to Wales only.

Amendments

2.—(1) The form set out in the Schedule to the Housing Renewal Grants (Prescribed Form and Particulars) Regulations 1996(4) is amended as set out in the English text of the Schedule to these Regulations.

(2) The form set out in the Schedule to the Housing Renewal Grants (Prescribed Form and Particulars) (Welsh Form and Particulars) Regulations 1998(5) is amended as set out in the Welsh text of the Schedule to these Regulations.

Signed on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales under section 66(1) of the Government of Wales Act 1998(6).

Dafydd. Elis Thomas

The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly

20th June 2000

Regulation 2

SCHEDULE AMENDMENTS TO THE FORM ENTITLED “OWNER-OCCUPIER'S AND TENANT'S APPLICATIONS FOR HOUSING RENEWAL GRANTS”

1.  In question 1.1 for “Note 1” substitute “Notes 1 and 1A”.

2.  After question 1.2, insert —

“

”.

3.  After question 1.3, insert —

“

”

4.  In the note preceding question 2B.6, for “If you hold” substitute “If you do not hold”.

5.  After question 3.23, insert —

“

”.

6.  In question 3.31 —

(a) after “Other scholarships and bursaries etc: £ ... ... ... ... £ ... ... ... ...”, insert “Note 86B”;

(b) after “Student loan: £ ... ... ... ... £ ... ... ... ...”, insert “Note 86C”.

7.  In question 3.34, for “Notes 90 and 90A” substitute “Notes 90, 90A and 90B”.

8.  In the heading before question 3.36 and in question 3.36, after “student grants” insert “or student loans”.

9.  In question 4.1, after paragraph (c) insert—

“(d) Information about your national insurance number

”

10.  Before note 2, insert —

“1A.   Please provide a utility bill showing your name and the address of the property to which the application relates or other evidence that you live at that property”.

11.  After note 2, insert —

“2A.   If you have a national insurance number, please supply evidence that it belongs to you such as a numbercard, wage statements, benefit forms or other official documentation bearing both your name and your national insurance number. If you have lost your NI number or you have not been allocated one, please supply a copy of your wage statement or benefit form to enable your NI number to be traced or an application for an NI number to be made.

The Housing Department of the Council can give you advice about which documents you should provide and also how to apply for a new NI number. Please complete the rest of the form and ask for their advice when you send your application to them”.

12.  In note 3 —

(a) after “regulation 3 of the Housing Renewal Grants Regulations 1996” insert “The Council is also not allowed to pay grant where a person who could have applied for a grant is a “person from abroad”, even though the applicant is not a “person from abroad”.”

(b) for “question 1.3” substitute “questions 1.3 and 1.3A” and for “this question” substitute “both these questions”.

13.  At the end of the note 70, add:

“Gross pay should also include a non-cash voucher which has been taken into account in calculating your earnings in accordance with regulation 18(22) to (25) of the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 1979.”

14.  At the end of notes 71 and 72 add —

“Please include the amount of your pension whether it is paid to you or to another person. You do not have to include the amount of your pension where all of it is paid to your trustee in bankruptcy or to someone else on behalf of your creditors provided that you and any member of your family do not have any income apart from that payment.”.

15.  After note 74, insert —

“74A   If you or your partner do not know whether you are entitled to receive the national minimum wage for any job, please complete the rest of the form and then ask the Housing Department of the Council when you send in your application.”

16.  In note 85, after “George Cross” insert —

• “educational maintenance allowance payable by virtue of regulations made under section 518 of the Education Act 1996 (payment of school expenses; grant of scholarships etc.) or any other sum in respect of a course of study attended by a child or young person payable by virtue of regulations made under section 518 of the Education Act 1996, section 49 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (power to assist persons to take advantage of educational facilities) or section 12(2)(c) of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 (provision of financial assistance to students).”

17.  After note 86A, insert —

“86B   Please do not include a sports award except to the extent that it has been made to pay for your expenses, or those of your family, for food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel or rent, or for any council tax or water charges for which you are or another member of your family is liable.

• You do not need to include any payments for vitamins, minerals or other special dietary supplements intended to enhance your performance in the sport for which the award was made.

• You also do not need to include any payments made for school uniforms or clothing or footwear to be used solely for sporting activities.

  “Sports award” means an award made by one of the Sports Councils named in section 23(2) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 out of sums allocated to it for distribution under that section.

  “Rent” means eligible rent within the meaning of regulation 10(3) of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 less any deductions in respect of non-dependants which fall to be made under regulation 63 of those Regulations.

86C   You should give the maximum student loan which you could have acquired, where you did not obtain a student loan or you did not obtain the maximum amount.”

18.  After note 90A, insert —

“90B   Please do not include a sports award which you received less than 26 weeks ago except to the extent that it has been made to pay for your expenses, or those of your family, for food, ordinary clothing or footwear, household fuel or rent, or for any council tax or water charges for which you are or another member of your family is liable.

• You do not need to include any payments for vitamins, minerals or other special dietary supplements intended to enhance your performance in the sport for which the award was made.

• You also do not need to include any payments made for school uniforms or clothing or footwear to be used solely for sporting activities.

  “Sports award” means an award made by one of the Sports Councils named in section 23(2) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 out of sums allocated to it for distribution under that section.

  “Rent” means eligible rent within the meaning of regulation 10(3) of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 less any deductions in respect of non-dependants which fall to be made under regulation 63 of those Regulations.”

19.  In note 92, after “grant” insert “or student loan”.

Explanatory Note

(This note does not form part of the Regulations)

The form which is to be used by owner-occupiers and tenants when applying for housing renewal grants under Chapter I of Part I of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 is set out in the Schedule to the Housing Renewal Grants (Prescribed Form and Particulars) Regulations 1996.

The equivalent form in Welsh is set out in the Schedule to the Housing Renewal Grants (Welsh Form and Particulars) Regulations 1998.

The Housing Renewal Grants (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2000 made amendments to the Housing Renewal Grants Regulations 1996 which were consequential upon changes to the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 upon which the means test for determining the amount of grant is based.

These Regulations make amendments to the forms of application which are consequential upon the amendments made to the Housing Renewal Grants Regulations 1996.

(1)

1996 c. 53. For the definition of “prescribed” see section 101 of the Act.

(2)

1993 c. 38.

(3)

See the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672).

(4)

S.I. 1996/2891, amended by S.I. 1996/3119, 1997/978, 1998/809, 1999/1607 and 1999/3470.

(5)

S.I. 1998/1113, amended by S.I. 1999/2316 and 1999/3470.

(6)

1998 c. 38.