The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Extended payments

70.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (7) and (8), paragraph (2) shall apply where—

(a) a person ceases to be entitled to housing benefit—

(i) in accordance with regulation 75, and

(ii) the conditions referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 8 are satisfied in his case; or

(b) a person ceases to be entitled to housing benefit because he has vacated the dwelling which he occupied as his home and the day on which he did so was either in the week in which he took up employment as an employed or self-employed earner, or in the preceding week, and—

(i) he ceased to be entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance by reason of taking up employment as an employed or self-employed earner, and

(ii) the conditions referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 8 are satisfied in his case.

(2) A person to whom paragraph (1) applies shall be treated as having made a claim under this regulation and his housing benefit shall be determined in accordance with Part II of Schedule 8 and any award so determined shall be referred to in these Regulations as an “extended payment”.

(3) For the purposes of any payment pursuant to this regulation—

(a) except in a case to which paragraph 7(b) of Schedule 8 applies, the maximum housing benefit of any person mentioned in paragraph (1) shall be that which was applicable to him in the last benefit week of the award of housing benefit which has ceased as mentioned in paragraph (1);

(b) the maximum housing benefit of any person to whom paragraph 7(b) of Schedule 8 applies shall be determined in accordance with paragraph 8 of that Schedule; and

(c) any person who meets the requirements of paragraph (1) shall be treated as possessing no income or capital.

(4) Regulations 80, 81 and 82 shall not apply to a claim pursuant to this regulation and, subject to regulation 78(7), Part IX shall not apply to any payment under it.

(5) In paragraph (1)(a) and (b), references to a “person” include references to a person’s partner.

(6) In a case where a payment has been made under this regulation—

(a) the beneficiary shall be treated for the purposes of these Regulations or, in a case to which regulation 5(2) applies, of the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(1) as though he were entitled to and in receipt of housing benefit—

(i) during the 4 weeks immediately following the last day of his entitlement to housing benefit, or

(ii) until the date on which his liability for rent or rates or both ends,

whichever occurs first; and

(b) any claim for housing benefit made by the beneficiary within the period which under sub-paragraph (a) applies in his case or the 4 weeks thereafter shall be treated as having been made in respect of a period beginning immediately after the end of his previous award of housing benefit.

(7) This regulation shall not apply to a claimant where, on the day before his entitlement to income support ceased, regulation 6(5) of the Income Support Regulations (remunerative work: housing costs) applied to him.

(8) In paragraph (6), “these Regulations” includes the Regulations as modified by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 3 to the Consequential Provisions Regulations.

(1)

S.R. 2006 No. 406