The Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and shall come into operation as follows—

(a) regulation 1 on 1st April 1998;

(b) regulations 2 to 5 in any case to which paragraph (2) applies, on 1st April 1998 and in any other case, on 6th April 1998.

(2) This paragraph applies in any case where—

(a) rent is payable at intervals of one month or any other interval which is not a week or a multiple thereof, or

(b) payments by way of rates are not made together with payments of rent at weekly intervals or multiples thereof.

(3) To the extent that these Regulations come into operation on the same day as any provision of the Social Security (Lone Parents) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(1), these Regulations shall come into operation immediately before those Regulations.

(4) In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(2).

(5) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland)1954(3) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Amendment of regulation 18 of the principal Regulations

2.  In regulation 18(1) of the principal Regulations(4) (patients)—

(a) in sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (d)(ii) for “£15·60” there shall be substituted “£16·20”;

(b) in sub-paragraphs (c)(i) and (d)(i) for “£12·50” there shall be substituted “£12·95”;

(c) in sub-paragraph (c)(ii) for “£31·20” there shall be substituted “£32·40”.

Amendment of regulation 63 of the principal Regulations

3.  In regulation 63 of the principal Regulations (non-dependant deductions)—

(a) in paragraph (1)(5)—

(i) in sub-paragraph (a)(ii) for “£4·00” there shall be substituted “£6·00”;

(ii) in sub-paragraph (b)(ii) for “£1·50” there shall be substituted “£2·00”;

(b) in paragraph (2)(6)—

(i) in sub-paragraph (e) for “£3·00” there shall be substituted “£4·00”;

(ii) in sub-paragraph (f) for “£3·50” there shall be substituted “£5·00”.

Amendment of Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations

4.  In Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations (applicable amounts)—

(a) subject to paragraph (b) for Part I (personal allowances) there shall be substituted the Part set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations;

(b) in paragraph 2(d) as it has effect by virtue of regulation 10(1) of the Income-Related Benefits and Jobseeker’s Allowance (Personal Allowances for Children and Young Persons) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(7) (transitional provisions) for “£38·90” there shall be substituted “£39·85”;

(c) in Part II (family premium) in paragraph 3(b)(8) for “£10·80” there shall be substituted “£11·05”;

(d) for Part IV(9) (amounts of premiums specified in Part III) there shall be substituted the Part set out in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

Revocations

5.  Regulations 2, 3(a), 4(a), (c) and (d) of the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(10) and regulation 2(a)(ii) of the Social Security (Non-Dependant Deductions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(11) are hereby revoked.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland on

L.S.

John O'Neill

Assistant Secretary

4th March 1998.

The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland hereby consents to the foregoing Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland on

L.S.

John Ritchie

Assistant Secretary

5th March 1998.