The Housing Benefit (Recovery of Overpayments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Restriction on recovery of rent and consequent notifications

3.—(1) Where, pursuant to section 73(5)(b) of the Act, an amount has been recovered by deduction from housing benefit paid to a person (referred to as “the landlord” in this regulation) to discharge (in whole or in part) an obligation owed to him by the person on whose behalf the recoverable amount was paid (referred to as “the tenant” in this regulation) that obligation shall, in a case to which paragraph (2) applies, be taken to be discharged by the amount of the deduction.

(2) This paragraph applies in a case where the amount recovered from the landlord relates to an overpayment of housing benefit in relation to which the landlord has—

(a) agreed to pay a penalty pursuant to section 109A(4) of the Act(1) (penalty as an alternative to prosecution), or

(b) been convicted of an offence arising under the Act or any other statutory provision.

(3) In any case to which paragraph (2) applies where the Executive has determined that there is an overpayment and that it is recoverable from the landlord it shall notify both the landlord and the tenant that—

(a) the overpayment that it has recovered or that it has determined to recover (“that sum”) was one to which paragraph (2) applies, and

(b) the landlord has no right in relation to that sum against the tenant, and that his obligation to the landlord shall be taken to be discharged by the amount so recovered.

(1)

Section 109A was inserted by Article 14 of the Social Security Administration (Fraud) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997