Amendment of the Housing Benefit Regulations
2.—(1) The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(1) shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).
(2) In regulation 74 (date on which entitlement is to commence)—
(a)for paragraph (3)(c) substitute—
“(c)he becomes liable in that benefit week to make payments, which fall due on a daily basis, in respect of the accommodation specified in paragraph (4) which he occupies as his home.”; and
(b)after regulation 74(3) add—
“(4) The accommodation referred to in paragraph (3)(c) is—
(a)a hostel;
(b)board and lodging accommodation where the payments are to the Executive under Article 12(2) of the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988;
(c)accommodation secured by the Executive where the payments are to the Executive under Article 12(2) of that Order; or
(d)accommodation which the Executive holds on a lease granted for a term not exceeding 10 years.
(5) In this regulation “board and lodging accommodation” means—
(a)accommodation provided to a person or, if he is a member of a family, to him or any other member of his family, for a charge which is inclusive of the provision of that accommodation and at least some cooked or prepared meals which both are cooked or prepared (by a person other than a person to whom the accommodation is provided or by a member of his family) and are consumed in that accommodation or associated premises; or
(b)accommodation provided to a person in a hotel, guest house, lodging house or some similar establishment,
but it does not include accommodation in a care home, an Abbeyfield Home, an independent hospital or a hostel.”.
(3) In regulation 77(10) (date on which change of circumstances is to take effect) omit the words “in respect of a hostel”.