The Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006

[F1 Determination of a maximum rent (LHA)

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13D.—(1)  Subject to paragraph (3) to (11), the maximum rent ( LHA ) shall be the local housing allowance determined by the rent officer by virtue of article 4B(2A) or (4) of the Rent Officers Order which is applicable to—

(a)the broad rental market area in which the dwelling to which the claim or award of housing benefit relates is situated at the relevant date; and

(b)the category of dwelling which applies at the relevant date in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) The category of dwelling which applies is—

(a) the category specified in paragraph 1(1)(a) of Schedule 3B to the Rent Officers Order (one bedroom shared accommodation) where paragraph (b) does not apply because neither sub-paragraph (b)(i) nor (ii) are satisfied in the claimant’s case and—

(i)neither the claimant nor his partner (where he has one) is a person to whom paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 (severe disability premium) applies; or

[F2(ii)the claimant’s partner is not a care leaver;]

(b) the category specified in paragraph 1(1)(b) of Schedule 3B to the Rent Officers Order (one bedroom self contained accommodation) where that applies in the claimant’s case at the relevant date in accordance with the size criteria [F3as set out in paragraph (3)] and—

(i)the claimant (together with his partner where he has one) has the exclusive use of two or more rooms; or

(ii)the claimant (together with his partner where he has one) has the exclusive use of one room, a bathroom and toilet and a kitchen or facilities for cooking,

and in this sub-paragraph “room” means a bedroom or room suitable for living in except for a room which the claimant shares with any person other than a member of his household, a non-dependant of his, or a person who pays rent to him or his partner; or

(c)in any other case, the category which corresponds with the number of bedrooms to which the claimant is entitled in accordance with [F4paragraphs (3) to (3B)] [F5[F6up to a maximum of four] bedrooms].

(3) The claimant shall be entitled to one bedroom for each of the following categories of occupier (and each occupier shall come within the first category only which applies to him)—

(a)a couple (within the meaning of Part 7 of the Act);

(b)a person who is not a child;

[F7(ba)a child who cannot share a bedroom;]

(c)two children of the same sex;

(d)two children who are less than 10 years old;

(e)a child

[F8but the claimant is only entitled to a bedroom in respect of a child who cannot share a bedroom if there is a bedroom in the dwelling occupied as the home that is additional to those to which the claimant would be entitled if the child were able to share a bedroom.]

[F9(3A) The claimant is entitled to one additional bedroom in any case where—

(a)the claimant or the claimant’s partner is (or each of them is) a person who requires overnight care; or

(b)the claimant or the claimant’s partner is (or each of them is) a qualifying parent or carer.]

[F9(3B) The claimant is entitled to two additional bedrooms where paragraphs (3A)(a) and (b) both apply.]

(4) The relevant authority shall determine —

(a)the cap rent (in accordance with the definition in paragraph (12)); and

(b)whether the cap rent exceeds the applicable local housing allowance.

[F10(5) Where the applicable local housing allowance exceeds the cap rent, the maximum rent (LHA) shall be the cap rent.]

F11(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F12(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F13(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F14(9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(10)  The relevant authority shall apply to the rent officer for a board and attendance determination to be made in accordance with article 4C of the Rent Officers Order where—

(a) the relevant authority is required to determine a maximum rent ( LHA ) by virtue of regulation 13C; and

(b)part of the rent under the tenancy appears to the relevant authority to be likely to be attributable to board and attendance.

(11)  Where an application to a rent officer is required in accordance with paragraph (10) it shall be made within the same period following the day on which the relevant authority becomes obliged to determine a maximum rent ( LHA ) by virtue of regulation 13C as would be required if the application were to be made under regulation 14(1).

(12) In this regulation—

“cap rent” means the aggregate of such payments specified in regulation 12(1) (rent) which the claimant is liable to pay, or is treated as liable to pay by virtue of regulation 8 (circumstances in which a person is treated as liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling) subject to regulation 12B(3) (mixed use accommodation), (4) (more than one person liable to make payments) and (6) (discretion in relation to eligible rent);

“care leaver” means a person who has not attained the age of 22 and—

(a)

has ceased to be the subject of a care order made pursuant to section 31(1)(a) of the Children Act 1989 which had previously been made in respect to him either—

(i)

after he attained the age of 16 years; or

(ii)

before he attained the age of 16 years, but had continued after he attained that age;

(b)

was formerly provided with accommodation under section 20 of the Children Act 1989;

(c)

has ceased to be subject to a supervision requirement by a children’s hearing under section 70 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”) made in respect of him which had continued after he attained the age of 16 years, other than a case where—

(i)

the ground of referral was based on the sole condition as to the need for compulsory measures of care specified in section 52(1)(i) of the 1995 Act (commission of offences by child); or

(ii)

he was required by virtue of the supervision requirement to reside with a parent or guardian of his within the meaning of the 1995 Act, or with a friend or relative of his or of his parent or guardian;

(ca)

[F15that person has ceased to be subject to a compulsory supervision order within the meaning of section 83 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”) which had continued after that person attained the age of 16 years, other than a case where—

(i)

the section 67 ground (within the meaning of that Act) was based on the sole condition as to the need for compulsory measures of supervision specified in section 67(2)(j) of the 2011 Act (the child has committed an offence); or

(ii)

that person was required by virtue of the compulsory supervision order to reside with a parent or guardian of that person within the meaning of the 1995 Act, or with a friend or relative of that person or of that person’s parent or guardian;]

(d)

has ceased to be a child in relation to whom the parental rights and responsibilities were transferred to a local authority under a parental responsibilities order made in accordance with section 86 of the 1995 Act or treated as so vested in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to that Act [F16or has ceased to be a child in relation to whom a permanence order under section 80 of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 has been made, or treated as being made], either—

(i)

after he attained the age of 16 years; or

(ii)

before he attained the age of 16 years, but had continued after he attained that age; or

(e)

has ceased to be provided with accommodation by a local authority under section 25 of the 1995 Act where he has previously been provided with accommodation by the authority under that provision either—

(i)

after he attained the age of 16 years; or

(ii)

before he attained the age of 16 years, but had continued to be in such accommodation after he attained that age;

[F17“occupiers” means—

(a)

the persons whom the relevant authority is satisfied occupy as their home the dwelling to which the claim or award relates except for any joint tenant who is not a member of the claimant’s household; and

(b)

any member of the armed forces away on operations who—

(i)

is the son, daughter, step-son or step-daughter of the claimant or the claimant’s partner;

(ii)

was the claimant’s non-dependant before they became a member of the armed forces away on operations; and

(iii)

intends to resume occupying the dwelling as their home when they cease to be a member of the armed forces away on operations;]

“relevant date” means, as the case may require—

(a)

the date of the claim to which the claim or relevant information referred to in regulation 13C (2) (a) or (b) relates;

(b)

the date of the change of dwelling, change which affects the category of dwelling, or date of death, to which a notification referred to in regulation 13C(2)(c) or (d) relates; or

(c)

the date on which the anniversary of the LHA date referred to in regulation 13C(3) falls.

“tenancy” includes

(a)

in Scotland, any other right of occupancy; and

(b)

in any other case, a licence to occupy premises,

and reference to a tenant, landlord or any other expression appropriate to a tenancy shall be construed accordingly.]

Textual Amendments

F1Regs. 13C-13E inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(5)(6)(7) of the amending S.I.) by Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) (Local Housing Allowance and Information Sharing) Amendment Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2869), regs. 1(3), 7

F4Words in reg. 13D(2)(c) substituted (1.4.2013) by The Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/665), regs. 1, 3(3)(a)

F6Words in reg. 13D(2)(c) substituted (1.4.2011) by The Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2835), regs. 1, 3(6)(a)