The Social Security (Housing Costs Special Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

Amendment of Regulation 10 of the principal Regulations

5.  In regulation 10 (modification of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations) of the principal Regulations for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) after paragraph 4(1) (housing costs not met) there were inserted—

“Housing costs: limitation applicable to qualifying loans

4A.— (1) Except as mentioned below, no amount may be met in respect of housing costs under paragraph 14 or 15 after the claimant has been in receipt of housing costs under either or both of those paragraphs (“relevant housing costs”) for a cumulative total of 104 weeks, beginning on or after 5th January 2009.

(2) Sub-paragraphs (3) to (6) apply for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1).

(3) No week in which the appropriate amount specified in paragraph 10(4) is £100,000 in relation to the claimant is to count towards the 104 week total.

(4) Where sub-paragraph (5) applies to the claimant, relevant housing costs awarded to him in respect of a previous award of a jobseeker’s allowance are to be disregarded.

(5) This sub-paragraph applies to the claimant where he does not fall to be treated under paragraph 13 (linking rule) as being in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance for a continuous period beginning with the first day of the last period in respect of which he was not in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance and ending immediately before his most recent claim is made or is treated as made.

(6) Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply where—

(a) the claimant or his partner or, if the claimant is a member of a joint-claim couple, the other member of the couple, was entitled to income support or an employment and support allowance before one of them becomes entitled to a jobseeker’s allowance, and

(b) 12 weeks or less has elapsed since the last day of that entitlement and the first day of entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance.”.”.

(1)

Paragraph 4 was amended by paragraph 54(4) of Schedule 2 to, S.R. 2000 No. 350 and paragraph 9(b) of Schedule 3 to, S.R. 2005 No. 458