The Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 5) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (“the 1987 Regulations”) and the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 to provide—

(a) that a claim for housing benefit may be made by a person who has been recorded as a refugee by the Secretary of State in respect of the period from and including the date of his claim for asylum to the date he is recorded as a refugee;

(b) for the date on which such a claim for benefit is to be treated as made, and

(c) that any benefit to which the claimant is entitled shall be paid.

The Regulations also provide for the manner in which the benefit due is to be calculated and for modifying the effect of the 1987 Regulations with respect to applicable amounts, the evidence to be produced in support of claims, changes of circumstances and the manner in which benefit is to be paid.

These Regulations are made pursuant to section 11 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (1996 c. 49) and are made before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the date section 11 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 came into operation (24th July 1996). Accordingly they are exempted by section 150(5)(b) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8) from reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee and have not been so referred.