The Housing Benefit (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Amendment of the Social Security (Notification of Change of Circumstances) Regulations

3.  In regulation 4 of the Social Security (Notification of Change of Circumstances) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001(1) (change affecting housing benefit)—

(a) for paragraph (1) substitute—

“(1) Subject to paragraph (1A), where the benefit affected by the change of circumstances is housing benefit, notice must be given to the relevant authority at the designated office—

(a) in writing;

(b) by telephone—

(i) where the relevant authority has published a telephone number for that purpose or for the purposes of making a claim unless the authority determines that in any particular case or class of case notification may not be given by telephone, or

(ii) in any case or class of case where the relevant authority determines that notice may be given by telephone; or

(c) by any other means which the relevant authority agrees to accept in any particular case.

(1A) Notice may be given to the appropriate office by telephone where all the following conditions are met—

(a) the claimant or the claimant’s partner is in receipt of income support or a jobseeker’s allowance;

(b) the change of circumstances is that the claimant or the claimant’s partner starts employment;

(c) as a result of the change, either entitlement to housing benefit will end, or the amount of benefit will be reduced; and

(d) a telephone number has been provided for that purpose.”; and

(b) in paragraph (2) for ““designated office” and relevant authority”” substitute ““appropriate office”(2), “claimant”, “designated office” and “relevant authority””.

(1)

S.R. 2001 No. 420; regulation 4 was amended by paragraph 9 of Schedule 2 to S.R. 2006 No. 407

(2)

The definition of “appropriate office” was amended by regulation 3(2)(a)(ii) or, as the case may be, regulation 4(2)(a)(ii) of S.R. 2008 No. 378