These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and shall come into operation on 20th November 2006.

In these Regulations—

• “the Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

• “the consolidating Regulations” means the Housing Benefit Regulations and the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations;

• “the former Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19876;

• “the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20067;

• “the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20068.

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19549 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

For the purposes of these Regulations and notwithstanding section 39(2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, where a period of time is expressed to begin on, or to be reckoned from, a particular day, that day shall be included in the period.