The Housing Renewal Grants (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Housing Renewal Grants Regulations 1996 (“the 1996 Regulations”) which set out the means test for determining the amount of renovation grant and disabled facilities grant which may be paid by local housing authorities to owner-occupier and tenant applicants under Chapter 1 of Part I of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. The amendments are mainly consequential on changes to the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971) upon which the means test is based.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 9 of the 1996 Regulations to remove the unintended conflict between regulations 8 and 9 where a child or young person has been fostered.

Regulation 5 increases the amounts specified in regulation 10 of the 1996 Regulations so increasing the applicable amount (which partly determines the amount of grant payable).

Regulation 6 increases the multipliers in regulation 12 of the 1996 Regulations.

Regulation 7 increases the amount of capital, which a child or young person may have without the amounts determined in accordance with paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to the 1996 Regulations ceasing to apply.

Regulation 8 increases the amount that may be deducted from weekly earnings in respect of payments for childcare.

Regulation 9 amends regulation 19 of the 1996 Regulations to provide that a woman on maternity leave should be treated as if she was engaged in remunerative work so enabling relevant childcare charges paid to be deducted from weekly earnings determined in accordance with regulation 18 of the 1996 Regulations. Any childcare charges incurred in respect of the child to whom the maternity leave relates are not treated as relevant childcare charges.

Regulation 10 amends regulation 31 (notional income) of the 1996 Regulations and regulation 11 amends regulation 38 (notional capital) of the 1996 Regulations to take account of the programmes known as “Intensive Activity Period for 50 plus” and “the Intensive Activity Period”.

Regulations 12, 13 and 14 make various amendments to regulations concerning students including amendments consequential on the establishment of the Learning and Skills Council and the National Council for Education and Training for Wales.

Regulation 15 uprates the applicable amounts and premiums in Schedule 1 to the 1996 Regulations and adds a premium payable to certain persons who have ceased to be entitled to a bereavement allowance.

Regulation 16 adds items to the list of sums to be disregarded in the determination of income other than earnings, namely payments relating to discretionary housing payments, £15 of any widowed parent’s or mother’s allowance. Amendments are also made to existing provisions consequential on various changes to new deal schemes and the establishment of National Health Service trusts.

Regulation 17 adds items to the list of sums to be disregarded as capital, namely payments relating to discretionary housing payments, training grant payable under the New Deal 50 Plus Employment Credit Scheme and payments made to compensate persons for loss suffered during the Second World War. Amendments are also made to an existing provision consequential on various changes to new Deal Schemes.