The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Excessive housing costs

14.—(1) Housing costs which, apart from this paragraph, fall to be met under this Schedule are to be met only to the extent specified in sub-paragraph (3) where—

(a) the dwelling occupied as the home, excluding any part which is let, is larger than is required by the claimant, that claimant’s partner (if the claimant has a partner), any person under the age of 20 and any other non-dependants having regard, in particular, to suitable alternative accommodation occupied by a household of the same size;

(b) the immediate area in which the dwelling occupied as the home is located is more expensive than other areas in which suitable alternative accommodation exists; or

(c) the outgoings of the dwelling occupied as the home which are met under paragraphs 16 to 18 are higher than the outgoings of suitable alternative accommodation in the area.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), no regard is to be had to the capital value of the dwelling occupied as the home.

(3) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, the amount of the loan which falls to be met is to be restricted and the excess over the amounts which the claimant would need to obtain suitable alternative accommodation shall not be allowed.

(4) Where, having regard to the relevant factors, it is not reasonable to expect the claimant and the claimant’s partner to seek alternative cheaper accommodation, no restriction is to be made under sub-paragraph (3).

(5) In sub-paragraph (4) “the relevant factors” are—

(a) the availability of suitable accommodation and the level of housing costs in the area; and

(b) the circumstances of the claimant and those who live with the claimant, including, in particular, the age and state of health of any of those persons, the employment prospects of the claimant and, where a change in accommodation is likely to result in a change of school, the effect on the education of any person under the age of 20 who lives with the claimant.

(6) Where sub-paragraph (4) does not apply and the claimant or the claimant’s partner was able to meet the financial commitments for the dwelling occupied as the home when these were entered into, no restriction is to be made under this paragraph during the 26 weeks immediately following the date on which—

(a) the claimant became entitled to an income-related allowance where the claimant’s housing costs fell within one of the cases in sub-paragraph (1) on that date; or

(b) a decision took effect which was made under Article 11 of the 1998 Order(1) on the ground that the claimant’s housing costs fell within one of the cases in sub-paragraph (1),

nor during the next 26 weeks if and so long as the best endeavours of the claimant are used to obtain cheaper accommodation.

(7) For the purposes of calculating any period of 26 weeks referred to in sub-paragraph (6), and for those purposes only, a person is to be treated as entitled to an income-related allowance for any period of 12 weeks or less in respect of which that person was not in receipt of an income-related allowance and which fell immediately between periods in respect of which that person was in receipt of that allowance.

(8) Any period in respect of which—

(a) an income-related allowance was paid to a claimant; and

(b) it was subsequently determined that such a claimant was not entitled to an income-related allowance for that period,

shall be treated for the purposes of sub-paragraph (7) as a period in respect of which that claimant was not in receipt of an income-related allowance.

(9) Paragraph 15(1)(c) to (f) shall apply to sub-paragraph (7) as it applies to paragraphs 8 and 9 but with the modification as if “Subject to sub-paragraph (2),” was omitted and references to “claimant” were references to the person mentioned in sub-paragraph (7).

(10) References to an income-related allowance in sub-paragraphs (6) and (7) must be treated as including references to income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance and state pension credit in respect of any period which falls immediately before the appointed day.

(1)

Article 11 was amended by paragraph 17 of Schedule 6 and Schedule 9 to the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999