Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996

134 Relocation grants: amount

(1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), the amount of any relocation grant shall be such amount as the local housing authority may determine.

(2) The amount of any relocation grant shall not exceed such amount as may be prescribed.

(3) The amount of any relocation grant shall not exceed the difference between—

(a) the cost of acquiring the qualifying dwelling to which the application relates; and

(b) such part as may be prescribed of the amount which has been, or is to be, paid by the authority in respect of the acquisition of the applicant’s interest in the original dwelling.

(4) If the financial resources of the applicant exceed the applicable amount, the amount of any grant which may be paid shall, in accordance with regulations, be reduced from what it would otherwise have been.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (3), the cost of acquiring the qualifying dwelling shall be taken to be whichever of the following is the lesser amount, namely—

(a) the actual cost (including reasonable incidental expenses) of acquiring the dwelling; and

(b) the amount which the authority considers to be the reasonable cost (including such expenses) of acquiring a comparable dwelling in the same area.

(6) Provision may be made by regulations—

(a) for the determination of the amount which is to be taken to be the financial resources of an applicant,

(b) for the determination of the applicable amount referred to in subsection (4), and

(c) as to circumstances in which the financial resources of an applicant are to be assumed (by reason of his receiving a prescribed benefit or otherwise) not to exceed the applicable amount.

(7) Regulations may, in particular—

(a) make provision for account to be taken of the income, assets, needs and outgoings not only of the applicant himself but also of his spouse, any person living with him or intending to live with him and any person on whom he is dependent or who is dependent on him;

(b) make provision for amounts specified in or determined under the regulations to be taken into account for particular purposes.

(8) Regulations may apply, subject to such modifications as may be prescribed by the regulations, any other statutory means-testing regime as it has effect from time to time.

(9) Regulations may make provision requiring any information or evidence needed for the determination of any matter under this section to be furnished by such person as may be prescribed.

(10) In this section—

• “the original dwelling” has the same meaning as in section 133;

• “regulations” means regulations made by the Secretary of State with the consent of the Treasury.