13ZA.—(1) In a case where the claimant occupies a dwelling which is the same as that occupied by him at the date of death of a linked person, the maximum rent shall be either—
(a)the maximum rent which applied before the death occurred; or
(b)in a case where there was no maximum rent, the reckonable rent due before the death occurred,
for a period of 12 months from the date of such a death.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a claimant shall be treated as occupying the dwelling if paragraph (13) of regulation 7 (circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as occupying a dwelling as his home) is satisfied and for that purpose sub-paragraph (b) of that paragraph of that regulation shall be treated as if it were omitted.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), where the relevant authority is satisfied that the claimant or a linked person was able to meet the financial commitments for his dwelling when they were entered into, there shall be no maximum rent during the first 13 weeks of the claimant’s award of housing benefit.
(4) Paragraph (3) shall not apply where a claimant or the claimant’s partner was previously entitled to benefit in respect of an award of housing benefit which fell wholly or partly less than 52 weeks before the commencement of the claimant’s current award of housing benefit.]
Textual Amendments
F1Regs. 13-13ZB substituted for reg. 13 (7.4.2008) by The Housing Benefit (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2868), regs. 1(3), 6 (with reg. 1(6))