The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Eligible housing costs

11.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, housing benefit shall be payable in respect of the payments specified in regulations 12(1) and 13(1) and a claimant’s maximum housing benefit shall be calculated under Part VIII by reference to—

(a) in the case of a rate rebate, the amount of his eligible rates determined in accordance with regulation 12(3); and

(b) in the case of a rent rebate or allowance, the amount of his eligible rent determined in accordance with regulations 13(3) and (7) and 14.

(2) Subject to paragraph (4), housing benefit shall not be payable in respect of payments made by a person on income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance whose applicable amount for that benefit includes an amount in respect of those payments.

(3) Where any payment for which a person is liable in respect of a dwelling and which is specified in regulation 13(1), is increased on account of—

(a) outstanding arrears of any payment or charge; or

(b) any other unpaid payment or charge,

to which paragraphs (1) to (3) of that regulation or Schedule 1 refer and which is or was formerly owed by him in respect of that or another dwelling, a rent rebate or, as the case may be, a rent allowance shall not be payable in respect of that increase.

(4) Where a person who has been awarded housing benefit in respect of a dwelling becomes entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance and his applicable amount for the purpose of calculating his entitlement to that benefit includes an amount in respect of a payment made by him in respect of that dwelling, the payments made by him in respect of that dwelling shall continue to be eligible for housing benefit for a period of 4 benefit weeks beginning with the benefit week after the date on which he becomes entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance.