The Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

The Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 (“the 2002 Regulations”) enable the Department for Social Development to make or arrange for the making of grant for the improvement of energy efficiency in dwellings occupied by persons on low incomes with children, elderly persons on low incomes and persons in receipt of benefit relating to ill health or disability. These Regulations amend the 2002 Regulations as follows:

The list of persons in regulation 4 of the 2002 Regulations who may apply for a grant is amended to include:

A person who is, or who is living with a spouse who is, in receipt of one of certain specified benefits, and who is, or who is living with a spouse who is, a person in respect of whom a maternity certificate has been given. By virtue of regulation 3(1) of these Regulations such a woman must still be pregnant at the time the application for a grant is made and the certificate must have been granted in respect of the pregnancy concerned.

Any person who is in receipt of child tax credit or working tax credit (provided for by the Tax Credits Act 2002) and has a relevant income of less than £14,200. (regulation 3(1)(b)).

Regulation 3(2) removes references to working families tax credit and disabled persons tax credit.

The list of purposes in Regulation 5 of the 2002 Regulations for which a grant may be approved is extended to include new types of space and water heating systems (including those based on renewable forms of energy) (regulation 4).