Amendment of the Housing Benefit Regulations5

1

The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200618 are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4).

2

In regulation 2(1) (interpretation) after the definition of “local housing allowance”19 insert—

  • “local welfare provision” means occasional financial or other assistance given by a Northern Ireland Department, or a person authorised to exercise any function of, or provide a service to, it, to or in respect of individuals for the purpose of—

    1. a

      meeting, or helping to meet, an immediate short term need—

      1. i

        arising out of an exceptional event, or exceptional circumstances; and

      2. ii

        that requires to be met in order to avoid a risk to the well-being of an individual; or

    2. b

      enabling individuals to establish or maintain a settled home, where those individuals have been or, without the assistance, might otherwise be—

      1. i

        in prison, hospital, a residential care establishment or other institution; or

      2. ii

        homeless or otherwise living an unsettled way of life;”.

3

In Schedule 6 (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings) after paragraph 32 insert—

32A

Any local welfare provision.

4

In Schedule 7 (capital to be disregarded) after paragraph 21 insert—

21A

Any local welfare provision.