The Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Housing Costs (Executive Determinations) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Housing Benefit (Executive Determinations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 (“the 2008 Executive Determinations Regulations”) and the Universal Credit Housing Costs (Executive Determinations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (“the 2016 Executive Determinations Regulations”) to make changes to the manner in which the local housing allowance is determined.

Regulation 2 amends the Executive Determinations Regulations to provide that, for any category of accommodation the local housing allowance is the lowest of;

(a)

the rent at the 30th percentile for the broad rental market area in question, determined in accordance with the Executive Determinations Regulations;

(b)

the local housing allowance as last determined, increased by 1.7%; and

(c)

the maximum housing allowance for the category of accommodation in question.

The increase of 1.7% in the local housing allowance is representative of the increase in the Consumer Price Index over 12 months as determined by the Office for National Statistics in September 2019(1).

Regulation 3 makes equivalent provision in relation to the 2016 Executive Determinations Regulations.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on business or civil society organisations.

(1)

See https//www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpricesindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/september2019