The Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1998

Statutory Instruments

1998 No. 1732

SOCIAL SECURITY

The Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1998

Made

16th July 1998

Laid before Parliament

20th July 1998

Coming into force

10th August 1998

The Secretary of State for Social Security, in exercise of powers conferred by section 123(1)(d), 130(2), 137(1) and 175(1) and (3) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992(1) and of all other powers enabling her in that behalf, after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee that proposals in respect of these Regulations should not be referred to it(2), and after consulting with organisations appearing to her to be representative of the authorities concerned(3), hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1998 and shall come into force on 10th August 1998.

Amendment of regulation 3 of the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1997

2.  In regulation 3 of the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1997(4) (date the Regulations are to cease to have effect), for the words “31st October 1998”there shall be substituted the words “31st October 1999”.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Social Security.

Keith Bradley

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,

Department of Social Security

16th July 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1997 (“the 1997 Regulations”) which themselves amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1971) (“the Principal Regulations”).

The 1997 Regulations amend the Principal Regulations so as to make service charges for general counselling and support eligible for housing benefit where the claimant occupies supported accommodation (as defined).

Regulation 3 of the 1997 Regulations provides that those Regulations shall cease to have effect on 31st October 1998. These Regulations amend regulation 3 of the 1997 Regulations so as to extend the period during which they have effect until 31st October 1999.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.

(1)

1992 c. 4; section 137(1) is an interpretation provision and is cited because of the meaning there ascribed to “prescribed”.

(2)

See section 173(1)(b) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c. 5).

(3)

See section 176(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

(4)

S.I. 1997/1974.