Housing Renewal Grants (Prescribed Form and Particulars) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the form set out in the Schedule to the Housing Renewal Grants (Prescribed Form and Particulars) Regulations 1996. The form is the prescribed form for applications for grant under Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (“the Act”). The questions and notes included in the prescribed form reflect the means test rules for grant applications contained in the Housing Renewal Grants Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/2890) (“the 1996 Regulations”).

The amendments made by these Regulations apply to applications for grant made on or after 29th October 2003 to local housing authorities in England. They are consequential on changes made to the Act by the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/1860) (“the 2002 Order”) and by the Housing Renewal Grants (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2504) (“the 2003 Regulations”).

In consequence of the changes made by the 2002 Order and the 2003 Regulations, the prescribed form is amended by these Regulations so that it will be applicable only to applications (other than a landlord’s application) for grant towards the cost of works required for the provision of facilities for disabled persons.

By virtue of changes made to the Act by the 2002 Order, applications for grant can now be made by occupiers of qualifying houseboats and qualifying park homes and these Regulations amend the prescribed form to reflect this. Among other changes consequent on the 2003 Regulations, these Regulations amend the prescribed form to take account of new tax credits introduced by the Tax Credits Act 2002 and the State Pension Credit Act 2002.