Priority as between certain debts
9.—(1) Where in any one week more than one of the paragraphs 3 to 7 are applicable to the beneficiary and the amount of the specified benefit which may be made to third parties is insufficient to meet the whole of the liabilities for which provision is there made the following order of priorities shall apply–
(a)any liability mentioned in paragraph 3 (housing costs);
(b)any liability mentioned in paragraph 5 (service charges for fuel and rent not falling within paragraph 2(a));
(c)any liability mentioned in paragraph 6 (fuel costs);
(d)any liability mentioned in paragraph 7 (water charges);
(2) As between liability for items of housing costs liabilities in respect of mortgage payments shall have priority over all other items.
(3) As between liabilities for items of gas or electricity the adjudicating authority shall give priority to whichever liability it considers it would, having regard to the circumstances and to any requests of the beneficiary, be appropriate to discharge.
(4) Where water charges are due to 2 or more water undertakers the adjudicating authority shall give priority to whichever liability it considers it would, having regard to the circumstances and to any requests of the beneficiary, be appropriate to discharge.