12.—(1) The Housing Act 1988(1) is amended as follows.
(2) In section 17(2)—
(a)for subsection (4) substitute—
“(4) For the purposes of this section, a person who was living with the tenant as if they were a married couple or civil partners is to be treated as the tenant’s spouse or civil partner.”;
(b)in subsection (5), for the words from “, or if that person” to the end substitute “or civil partner”.
(3) In Part 2 of Schedule 2, in Ground 14A(3)—
(a)omit “, a couple living together as husband and wife”;
(b)after “as if they were” insert “a married couple or”.
(4) In paragraph 3 of Schedule 3, for sub-paragraph (5) substitute—
“(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)(a) above, a person who, immediately before the previous qualifying occupier’s death, was living together with the previous occupier as if they were a married couple or civil partners shall be treated as the widow, widower or surviving civil partner of the previous occupier.”.
Relevant amendments were made to section 17(4) and (5) by the Civil Partnership Act 2004, Schedule 8, paragraph 41 and by S.I. 2014/560.
Ground 14A was added by the Housing Act 1996, section 149. Relevant amendments were made by the Civil Partnership Act 2004, Schedule 8, paragraph 43.