The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Amendment of the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

2.—(1) The Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001(1) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) In regulation 1(2) (citation, commencement and interpretation) omit the definition of “registered housing association”.

(3) For regulation 2(1) (discretionary housing payments) substitute—

“2.— (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) and regulations 3 to 9, the Housing Executive may make payments by way of financial assistance (“discretionary housing payments”) to persons who are entitled to housing benefit, where—

(a) the appropriate maximum housing benefit has been determined in accordance with regulation 14D or restricted under regulation 15 of the Housing Benefit Regulations or, as the case may be, the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations, or

(b) the amount of housing benefit would have been greater but for the abolition of the family premium pursuant to regulation 3 of the Housing Benefit (Abolition of the Family Premium) Regulations, and the person is someone to whom the transitional provision in regulation 5 of those Regulations does not apply, or

(c) the amount of housing benefit has been reduced in accordance with regulation 73D of the Housing Benefit Regulations, and

a person appears to require further financial assistance (in addition to the benefit to which they are entitled) in order to meet housing costs.”.

(1)

S.R. 2001 No. 216. The definition of “registered housing association” in regulation 1(2) was inserted by regulation 2 of S.R. 2016 No. 310. Regulation 2(1) was amended by S.R. 1996 No. 111, S.R 1996 No. 181, S.R. 1996 No. 221, S.R. 1998 No. 114, S.R. 2006 No. 407, S.R.2008 No. 103 and S.R. 2016 No. 310.