PART IIHOUSING BENEFIT SUBSIDY

Overpayment of rebates or allowances11.

(1)

Where any part of an authority’s housing benefit qualifying expenditure is attributable to an overpayment of rebates or allowances made and discovered in the relevant year, for the purposes of article 4(1)(b)(ii), the appropriate amount for the year in respect of such part shall be calculated in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2)

The appropriate amount shall be—

(a)

in the case of an overpayment caused by an error of the authority making the payment 15 per cent. of that part of the housing benefit qualifying expenditure attributable to the overpayment; and

(b)

in the case of an overpayment caused by official error, 97 per cent. of that part of the housing benefit qualifying expenditure attributable to the overpayment as has not been recovered by the authority and nil per cent. of that part of the housing benefit qualifying expenditure attributable to the overpayment as has been recovered by the authority; and

(c)

in the case of a technical overpayment, 15 per cent. of that part of the housing benefit qualifying expenditure attributable to the overpayment for a period not exceeding 2 benefit weeks beginning on the benefit week after week in which the change of circumstances is disclosed to the authority and thereafter nil per cent. of the housing benefit qualifying expenditure attributable to the overpayment; and

(d)

in the case of any other overpayment, 25 per cent. of that part of the housing benefit qualifying expenditure attributable to the overpayment.

(3)

In paragraph 2(b) “overpayment caused by official error” means an overpayment caused by a mistake made or something done or omitted to be done by an officer of the Department of Social Security or the Department of Employment, acting as such, or a decision of an adjudication officer, social security appeal tribunal or Social Security Commissioner appointed in accordance with section 97 of the Social Security Act 197530 (adjudication by adjudication officers, social security appeal tribunals and Commissioners) where the claimant, a person acting on his behalf or any other person to whom the payment is made did not cause or materially contribute to that mistake, act or omission.

(4)

In paragraph (2)(c) “technical overpayment” means that part of an overpayment which occurs as a result of a rebate being granted in advance and a change in circumstances reduces or eliminates entitlement to that rebate beginning on the benefit week following the week in which the change is disclosed to the authority.

(5)

This article shall not apply to that part of any rebate or allowance to which paragraph 15 of regulation 72 of the Housing Benefit Regulations or, as the case may be, paragraph (18) of regulation 59 of the Scottish Regulations or paragraph (7) of article 2 of the Community Charge Benefits (Transitional) Order 198931 (time and manner in which claims are to be made) applies.