The Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.

Regulation 2 amends the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006. Regulation 2(2) provides that a person can make a claim for housing benefit by telephone to the Department where the person is also making a claim for certain other social security benefits by telephone to the Department. It also provides that a person can make a claim for housing benefit by telephone when, in relation to certain other social security benefits, he provides information, evidence, certificates or documents, or notifies any change of circumstances, by telephone to the Department. Provision is also made concerning whether a claim for housing benefit made by telephone has been validly made, whether it is a defective claim and the consequences of a claim being defective, and the date on which a claim is treated as made. Regulation 2(3) amends the provision allowing a person to amend or withdraw a claim for housing benefit so as to include provision for claims made by telephone to the Department. Regulation 2(4) makes a correction to the criminal offence provision which applies to landlords or their agents who fail to supply information required by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. References to the penalties for the criminal offence are removed, as the penalties are set out in section 107 of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992.

Regulation 3 makes equivalent amendments to the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.

Regulation 4 makes consequential revocations.