The Social Security (Hospital In-Patients and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003

Amendment of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987

4.—(1) The Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987(1) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs of this regulation.

(2) In regulation 16(2) (applicable amounts), as modified in respect of any person who has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit—

(a) in paragraph (2) omit “13 weeks but not exceeding 52 weeks, or, in exceptional circumstances, is unlikely to substantially exceed”;

(b) in paragraph (3)(a)—

(i) for “determined in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be reduced by an amount equal to 38” substitute “shall be equal to 20”; and

(ii) after “the Contributions and Benefits Act” add “(“the standard reduction”)”;

(c) in paragraph (3)(b) for “20 per cent. of the weekly rate of the basic pension for the time being specified in section 44(4) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (“the standard reduction”)” substitute “the standard reduction”; and

(d) in paragraph (7) for “13” substitute “52”.

(3) In regulation 18(3) (patients) for “6 weeks” or “six weeks”, wherever those words occur, substitute “52 weeks”.

(4) In regulation 63(7)(e)(4) (no deductions in respect of non-dependants) for “six”, in both places where it occurs, substitute “52”.

(5) In Schedule 2 (applicable amounts), in paragraph 13A(2)(5) (enhanced disability premium) for “six”, in both places where it occurs, substitute “52”.

(1)

S.I. 1987/1971.

(2)

Regulation 16 was modified by S.I. 2003/325.

(3)

Regulation 18 was amended by S.I. 1996/1803 and 2432 and 2003/526 and was modified by S.I. 2003/325.

(4)

Regulation 63 was amended by S.I. 1990/546 and 1775, 1991/235 and 387, 1992/50 and 2148, 1993/317, 963 and 1249, 1996/1510 and 2518, 1998/563 and 2002/668; sub-paragraph (e) was added by S.I. 1992/50.

(5)

Paragraph 13A was inserted by S.I. 2000/2629.