The Social Security (Coronavirus) (Further Measures) Regulations 2020

Local housing allowance

4.—(1) The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997(1) is amended as follows—

(a) in article 4B (broad rental market determinations and local housing allowance determinations)—

(i) in paragraph (2B), at the end add “and also the 31st March 2020”;

(ii) in paragraph (3B), at the end add “, and the determinations made on the 31st March 2020 shall take effect (on 1st April 2020) in place of the determinations made on the 31st January 2020”;

(b) in Schedule 3B, for sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 2 (local housing allowance for category of dwelling in paragraph 1) substitute—

“(2) The local housing allowance for any category of dwelling is the lower of—

(a) the rent at the 30th percentile determined in accordance with sub-paragraphs (4) to (8); and

(b) for a category of dwelling listed in column 1 of the following table, the amount listed in column 2 of that table (maximum local housing allowance)—

1. Category of dwelling as specified in paragraph 1	2. Maximum local housing allowance for that category of dwelling
paragraph 1(1)(a) (one bedroom, shared accommodation)	£ 295.49
paragraph 1(1)(b) (one bedroom, exclusive use)	£ 295.49
paragraph 1(1)(c) (two bedrooms)	£ 365.92
paragraph 1(1)(d) (three bedrooms)	£ 441.86
paragraph 1(1)(e) (four bedrooms)	£ 593.75”.

(2) The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997(2) is amended as follows—

(a) in article 4B (broad rental market determinations and local housing allowance determinations)—

(i) in paragraph (2B), at the end add “and also the 31st March 2020”;

(ii) in paragraph (3B), at the end add “and the determinations made on the 31st March 2020 shall take effect (on 1st April 2020) in place of the determinations made on the 31st January 2020”;

(b) in Schedule 3B, for sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 2 (local housing allowance for category of dwelling in paragraph 1) substitute—

“(2) The local housing allowance for any category of dwelling is the lower of—

(a) the rent at the 30th percentile determined in accordance with sub-paragraphs (4) to (8); and

(b) for a category of dwelling listed in column 1 of the following table, the amount listed in column 2 of that table (maximum local housing allowance)—

1. Category of dwelling as specified in paragraph 1	2. Maximum local housing allowance for that category of dwelling
paragraph 1(1)(a) (one bedroom, shared accommodation)	£ 295.49
Paragraph 1(1)(b) (one bedroom, exclusive use)	£ 295.49
Paragraph 1(1)(c) (two bedrooms)	£ 365.92
Paragraph 1(1)(d) (three bedrooms)	£ 441.86
Paragraph 1(1)(e) (four bedrooms)	£ 593.75”.

(3) The Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013(3) is amended as follows—

(a) in article 4 (local housing allowance determinations)—

(i) in paragraph (2), at the end add “and also the 31st March 2020”;

(ii) after paragraph (3) insert—

“(3A) The determinations made in accordance with paragraph (1) on the 31st March 2020 shall take effect (under paragraph (3)) in place of the determinations made in accordance with paragraph (1) on the 31st January 2020.”;

(b) in Schedule 1, for sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 2 (local housing allowance for category of accommodation in paragraph 1) substitute—

“(2) The local housing allowance for any category of accommodation is the lower of—

(a) the rent at the 30th percentile determined in accordance with paragraph 3; and

(b) for a category of accommodation listed in column 1 of the following table, the amount listed in column 2 of that table (maximum local housing allowance)—

1. Category of accommodation as specified in paragraph 1	2. Maximum local housing allowance for that category of accommodation
paragraph 1(a) (one bedroom, shared accommodation)	£ 1,283.96
Paragraph 1(b) (one bedroom, exclusive use)	£ 1,283.96
Paragraph 1(c) (two bedrooms)	£ 1,589.99
Paragraph 1(d) (three bedrooms)	£ 1,920.00
Paragraph 1(e) (four bedrooms)	£ 2,579.98”.

(1)

S.I. 1997/1984. Article 4B was inserted by S.I. 2003/2398; paragraph (2B) was inserted by S.I. 2013/1544 and substituted by S.I. 2014/3126; paragraph (3B) was inserted by S.I. 2012/646. Schedule 3B was inserted by S.I. 2007/2871; paragraph 2(2) was inserted by S.I. 2020/27. There are other amendments to article 4B and Schedule 3B but none are relevant.

(2)

S.I. 1997/1995. Article 4B was inserted by S.I. 2003/2398; paragraph (2B) was inserted by S.I. 2013/1544 and substituted by S.I. 2014/3126; paragraph (3B) was inserted by S.I. 2012/646; Schedule 3B was inserted by S.I. 2007/2871; paragraph 2(2) was inserted by S.I. 2020/27. There are other amendments to article 4B and Schedule 3B but none are relevant.

(3)

S.I. 2013/382. In article 4, paragraph (2) was inserted by S.I. 2014/3126 and amended by S.I. 2015/1753; paragraph (3) was inserted by S.I. 2015/1753. Paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 1 was inserted by S.I. 2020/27.