Legalize / United Kingdom / Northern Ireland / Ni-Statutory-Rule

The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Type Ni-Statutory-Rule

Publication 2006-10-12

Last updated 2026-03-15

State In force

Jurisdiction Northern Ireland

Department Government Printer for Northern Ireland

Source legislation.gov.uk

PDF Download

articles Not indexed

Reform history JSON API

Made: 12th October 2006

Coming into operation: 20th November 2006

The Regulations are made with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel[^f00005].

PART I — General

Citation and commencement

1

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and shall come into operation on 20th November 2006.

(2) These Regulations are to be read, where appropriate, with the Consequential Provisions Regulations and, in a case where regulation 5(2) applies, with the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006[^f00006].

(3) The regulations consolidated by these Regulations are revoked, in consequence of the consolidation, by the Consequential Provisions Regulations.

Interpretation

2

(1) In these Regulations—

“the 1950 Act” means the Employment and Training Act (Northern Ireland) 1950[^f00007];

“the 2015 Order” means the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015;

“the Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

“the Administration Act” means the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

“the Children Order” means the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995[^f00008];

“the Electronic Communications Act” means the Electronic Communications Act (Northern Ireland) 2001;

“the Employment Rights Order” means the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996[^f00009];

“the Fraud Act” means the Social Security Fraud Act (Northern Ireland) 2001[^f00010];

“the Health and Personal Social Services Order” means the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 [^f00011];

“the Immigration and Asylum Act” means the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999[^f00012];

“the Jobseekers Order” means the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995[^f00013];

“the Quality, Improvement and Regulation Order” means the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003[^f00014];

“the Tax Credits Act” means the Tax Credits Act 2002[^f00015];

“the Taxes Act” means the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988[^f00016];

“the Welfare Reform Act” means the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007;

“Abbeyfield Home” means an establishment run by the Abbeyfield Society including all bodies corporate or incorporate which are affiliated to that Society;

“adoption leave” means a period of absence from work on ordinary or additional adoption leave by virtue of Article 107A or 107B of the Employment Rights Order[^f00017];

“adult disability payment” has the meaning given in regulation 2 of the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022;

“amended determination” means a determination where the Executive is of the opinion that it has made an error (other than in the application of its professional judgement) in relation to a broad rental market area determination or a local housing allowance determination determined in accordance with regulation 3(2) of the Executive Determinations Regulations;

“appropriate office” means an office of the Department dealing with state pension credit or employment and support allowance or an office which is normally open to the public for the receipt of claims for income support and jobseeker’s allowance;

“approved blood scheme” means a scheme established or approved by the Secretary of State, or trust established with funds provided by the Secretary of State, for the purpose of providing compensation in respect of a person having been infected from contaminated blood products;

“armed forces independence payment” means armed forces independence payment under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011;

“assessment period” means such period as is prescribed in regulations 26 to 28 over which income falls to be calculated;

“attendance allowance” means—an attendance allowance under Part III of the Act;an increase of disablement pension under section 104 or 105 of the Act;......a payment by virtue of article 14, 15, 16, 43 or 44 of the Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme 1983[^f00019] or any analogous payment; orany payment based on need for attendance which is paid as part of a war disablement pension;

“basic rate”, where it relates to the rate of tax, has the same meaning as in the Income Tax Act 2007 (see section 989 of that Act);

“the benefit Acts” means the Act, the Jobseekers Order, the Welfare Reform Act, the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011, the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 and Part 5 of the 2015 Order;

“benefit week” means a period of 7 consecutive days commencing upon a Monday and ending on a Sunday;

“broad rental market area” has the meaning specified in paragraph 4 of the Schedule to the Executive Determinations Regulations;

“broad rental market area determination” means a determination made in accordance with regulation 3(1) of the Executive Determinations Regulations;

“carer support payment” means the carer support payment component of carer support given in accordance with the Carer’s Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023;

“the Caxton Foundation” means the charitable trust of that name established on 28th March 2011, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from hepatitis C and other persons eligible for payment in accordance with its provisions;

“change of dwelling” means, for the purposes of regulation 14C, a change of dwelling occupied by a claimant as his home during the award where the dwelling to which the claimant has moved is one in respect of which the Executive may make a rent allowance;

“child” means a person under the age of 16;

“child abuse payment” means a payment from a scheme established or approved by the Secretary of State for the purpose of providing compensation in respect of historic institutional child abuse in the United Kingdom;

“child disability payment” has the meaning given in regulation 2 of the DACYP Regulations;

“child tax credit” means a child tax credit under section 8 of the Tax Credits Act;

“child who cannot share a bedroom” means a child— who is entitled to— the care component of disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate prescribed in accordance with section 72(3) of the Act; orthe care component of child disability payment at the highest or middle rate in accordance with regulation 11(5) of the DACYP Regulations; andwho the relevant authority is satisfied is, by virtue of his or her disability, not reasonably able to share a bedroom with another child;

“claim” means a claim for housing benefit;

“claimant” means a person claiming housing benefit;

“close relative” means a parent, parent-in-law, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, step-parent, step-son, step-daughter, brother, sister, or if any of the preceding persons is one member of a couple, the other member of that couple;

“coercive behaviour” means an act of assault, humiliation or intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish or frighten the victim;

“competent authority” means a person who is a competent authority within the meaning of the Trafficking Convention;

“compulsory labour”, “forced labour”, “servitude” and “slavery” have the same meaning as in Article 4 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, agreed by the Council of Europe at Rome on 4th November 1950 as it has effect for the time being in relation to the United Kingdom;

“concessionary payment” means a payment made under arrangements made by the Department with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel which is charged either to the Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund or to a Departmental Expenditure Vote to which payments of benefit under the benefit Acts or the Tax Credits Act are charged;

“the Consequential Provisions Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006[^f00021];

“contributory employment and support allowance” means a contributory allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act;

“contributory employment and support allowance” means an allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act as amended by the provisions of Schedule 3, and Part 1 of Schedule 12, to the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 that remove references to an income-related allowance, and a contributory allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act as that Part has effect apart from those provisions;

“controlling behaviour” means an act designed to make a person subordinate or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance or escape or regulating their everyday behaviour;

“converted employment and support allowance” means an employment and support allowance which is not income-related and to which a person is entitled as a result of a conversion decision within the meaning of the Employment and Support Allowance (Existing Awards) Regulations;

“couple” means— two people who are married to, or civil partners of, each other and are members of the same household, ortwo people who are not married to, or civil partners of, each other but are living together as if spouses of each other;

“course of study” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 50;

“the DACYP Regulations” means the Disability Assistance for Children and Young People (Scotland) Regulations 2021;

“date of claim” means the date on which the claim is made, or treated as made, for the purposes of regulation 81;

“the Decisions and Appeals Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001[^f00022];

“designated office” means the office designated by the relevant authority for the receipt of claims to housing benefit—by notice upon or with a form approved by it for the purpose of claiming housing benefit;by reference upon or with such a form to some other document available from it and sent by electronic means or otherwise on application and without charge; orby any combination of the provisions set out in paragraphs (a) and (b);

“disability living allowance” means a disability living allowance under section 71 of the Act[^f00023];

“domestic violence” means any incident, or pattern of incidents, of controlling behaviour, coercive behaviour, violence or abuse, including but not limited to—psychological abuse;physical abuse;sexual abuse;emotional abuse;financial abuse,regardless of the gender or sexuality of the victim;

“dwelling occupied as the home” means the dwelling together with any garage, garden and outbuildings normally occupied by the claimant as his home, including any part thereof not so occupied which it is impracticable or unreasonable to sell separately, together with—any agricultural land adjoining that dwelling; andany land not adjoining that dwelling which it is impracticable or unreasonable to sell separately;

“earnings” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 32 or, as the case may be, 34;

“the Eileen Trust” means the charitable trust of that name established on 29th March 1993 out of funds provided by the Secretary of State for the benefit of persons eligible for payment in accordance with its provisions;

“electronic communication” has the same meaning as in section 4(1) of the Electronic Communications Act;

“eligible rates” is to be construed in accordance with regulation 12;

“eligible rent” means, as the case may require, an eligible rent determined in accordance with— regulation 13A , 13AA, 13B or 13C; orregulations 13 (rent) and 14 (restrictions on unreasonable payments) as set out in paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 to the Consequential Provisions Regulations in a case to which paragraph 4 of that Schedule applies;

“employed earner” means a person who is gainfully employed in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland either under a contract of service or in an office (including elective office) with general earnings and also includes a person who is in receipt of a payment which is payable under any statute of the Parliament of the United Kingdom extending solely to Great Britain and which corresponds to statutory sick pay or statutory maternity pay;

“employment and support allowance” means an employment and support allowance within the meaning of Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act;

“the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations” means the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008;

“the Employment and Support Allowance (Existing Awards) Regulations” means the Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions and Housing Benefit) (Existing Awards) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010;

“equity-sharing lease” means a lease of land, the general effect of which is to provide—that, in consideration for the granting of the lease, the lessee shall pay a capital sum, representing a part payment in respect of the cost of acquisition of the premises demised, and a rent; andthat the lessee may make additional part payments towards the said cost of acquisition and may exercise an option to purchase the whole or part of the lessor’s reversion in the premises demised;

“the Executive” means the Northern Ireland Housing Executive;

“the Executive Determinations Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (Executive Determinations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008;

“extended payment” means a payment of housing benefit payable pursuant to regulation 70;

“extended payment period” means the period for which an extended payment is payable in accordance with regulation 70A or 71A;

“extended payment (qualifying contributory benefits)” means a payment of housing benefit payable pursuant to regulation 71;

“family” has the meaning assigned to it by section 133(1) of the Act;

“the former Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987[^f00024];

“the Fund” means moneys made available from time to time by the Secretary of State for the benefit of persons eligible for payment in accordance with the provisions of a scheme established by him on 24th April 1992 or, in Scotland, on 10th April 1992;

“Grenfell Tower payment” means a payment made for the purpose of providing compensation or support in respect of the fire on 14th June 2017 at Grenfell Tower;

“a guaranteed income payment” means a payment made under article 14(1)(b) or 21(1)(a) of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2005[^f00025];

“health care professional” means a person who is a member of a profession regulated by a body mentioned in section 25(3) of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002;

“Health and Social Services Board” means a Board established under Article 16 of the Health and Personal Social Services Order;

“HSS trust” means a Health and Social Services trust established under Article 10 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991[^f00026], by which functions are exercisable by virtue of an authorisation for the time being in operation under Article 3(1) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1994[^f00027];

“the Horizon system” means any version of the computer system used by the Post Office known as Horizon, Horizon Legacy, Horizon Online or HNG-X;

“hostel” means a building—in which there is provided for persons generally or for a class of persons, domestic accommodation, otherwise than in separate and self-contained premises, and either board or facilities for the preparation of food adequate to the needs of those persons, or both;which is—managed or owned by a registered housing association;operated other than on a commercial basis and in respect of which funds are provided wholly or in part by a government department or agency, the Executive or a Health and Social Services Board or HSS trust, ormanaged by a voluntary organisation or charity and provides care, support or supervision with a view to assisting those persons to be rehabilitated or resettled within the community; andwhich is not—a residential care home;a nursing home;an independent hospital, oran Abbeyfield Home;

“housing association” has the meaning assigned to it by Article 3 of the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1992[^f00028];

“an income-based jobseeker’s allowance” has the same meaning as it has in the Jobseekers Order by virtue of Article 3(4) of that Order[^f00029];

“income-related employment and support allowance” means an income-related allowance under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act;

“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987[^f00030];

“independent hospital” has the meaning assigned to it by Article 2(2) of the Quality, Improvement and Regulation Order;

“the Independent Living Fund (2006)” means the Trust of that name established by a deed dated 10th April 2006 and made between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the one part and Margaret Rosemary Cooper, Michael Beresford Boyall and Marie Theresa Martin of the other part;

“the Infected Blood Payment Scheme for Northern Ireland” means the scheme of that name administered by the Regional Business Services Organisation established under section 14 of the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009;

“invalid carriage or other vehicle” means a vehicle propelled by petrol engine or by electric power supplied for use on the road and to be controlled by the occupant;

“jobseeker’s allowance” means a jobseeker’s allowance within the meaning of Part II of the Jobseekers Order;

“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996[^f00031];

“a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance” has the same meaning as it has in the Jobseekers Order by virtue of Article 3(4) of that Order[^f00032];

“LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme payment” means a payment under the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Financial Recognition Scheme administered under the authority of the Secretary of State for Defence;

“limited capability for work” has the meaning given in section 1(4) of the Welfare Reform Act;

“limited capability for work-related activity” has the meaning given in section 2(5) of the Welfare Reform Act;

“linked person” means—any member of the claimant’s family;if the claimant is a member of a polygamous marriage, any partners of his and any child or young person for whom he or a partner is responsible and who is a member of the same household;any relative of the claimant or his partner who occupies the same dwelling as the claimant, whether or not they reside with him, except for a relative who has a separate right of occupation of the dwelling which would enable them to continue to occupy it even if the claimant ceased his occupation of it;

“local housing allowance” means an allowance determined in accordance with paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Executive Determinations Regulations;

“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—meeting, or helping to meet, an immediate short term need—arising out of an exceptional event, or exceptional circumstances; andthat requires to be met in order to avoid a risk to the well-being of an individual; orenabling individuals to establish or maintain a settled home, where those individuals have been or, without the assistance, might otherwise be—in prison, hospital, a residential care establishment or other institution; orhomeless or otherwise living an unsettled way of life;

“the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund” means the company limited by guarantee (number 5505072) and registered charity of that name established on 11th July 2005 for the purpose of (amongst other things) relieving sickness, disability or financial need of victims (including families or dependants of victims) of the terrorist attacks carried out in London on 7th July 2005;

“the London Emergencies Trust” means the company of that name (number 09928465) incorporated on 23rd December 2015 and the registered charity of that name (number 1172307) established on 28th March 2017;

“lone parent” means a person who has no partner and who is responsible for and a member of the same household as a child or young person;

“the Macfarlane (Special Payments) Trust” means the trust of that name, established on 29th January 1990 partly out of funds provided by the Secretary of State, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from haemophilia;

“the Macfarlane (Special Payments) (No. 2) Trust” means the trust of that name, established on 3rd May 1991 partly out of funds provided by the Secretary of State, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from haemophilia and other beneficiaries;

“the Macfarlane Trust” means the charitable trust, established partly out of funds provided by the Secretary of State to the Haemophilia Society, for the relief of poverty or distress among those suffering from haemophilia;

“main phase employment and support allowance” means an employment and support allowance where the calculation of the amount payable in respect of the claimant includes a component under section 2(1)(b) or 4(2)(b) of the Welfare Reform Act or the claimant is a member of the work-related activity group, except in Part I of Schedule 4;

“maternity leave” means a period during which a woman is absent from work because she is pregnant or has given birth to a child, and at the end of which she has a right to return to work either under the terms of her contract of employment or under Part IX of the Employment Rights Order[^f00034];

“maximum rent” means the amount to which the eligible rent is restricted in a case where regulation14 applies;

“maximum rent (LHA)” means the amount determined in accordance with regulation 14D;

“member of a couple who cannot share a bedroom” means a member of a couple—who is in receipt of—attendance allowance ...; pension age disability payment ...; the care component of disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate prescribed in accordance with section 72(3) of the Act; the care component of child disability payment at the highest or middle rate in accordance with regulation 11(5) of the DACYP Regulations; the care component of Scottish adult disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate in accordance with regulation 6(4) of the Disability Assistance (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 2025; the daily living component of personal independence payment in accordance with Article 83 of the 2015 Order; ... the daily living component of adult disability payment at the standard or enhanced rated in accordance with regulation 5 of the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022; or armed forces independence payment; andwhom the relevant authority is satisfied is, by virtue of his or her disability, not reasonably able to share a bedroom with the other member of the couple;

“member of the armed forces away on operations” means a member of the regular forces or the reserve forces (within the meaning of section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006) who is absent, while on operations, from the dwelling usually occupied as their home;

“member of the work-related activity group” means a person who has or is treated as having limited capability for work under either— Part 5 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 other than by virtue of regulation 30 of those regulations; orPart 4 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 other than by virtue of regulation 26 of those regulations;

“MFET Limited” means the company limited by guarantee (number 7121661) of that name, established for the purpose in particular of making payments in accordance with arrangements made with the Secretary of State to persons who have acquired HIV as a result of treatment by the NHS with blood or blood products;

“miscarriage of justice compensation payment” means—a payment made under section 133(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988; orany other payment made by the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers or, in Northern Ireland, the Department of Justice, for the purpose of compensating a person—for a miscarriage of justice in criminal proceedings, orfor being wrongfully charged with a criminal offence;

“the National Emergencies Trust” means the registered charity of that name (number 1182809) established on 28th March 2019;

“net earnings” means such earnings as are calculated in accordance with regulation 33;

“net profit” means such profit as is calculated in accordance with regulation 35;

“non-dependant” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 3;

“non-dependant deduction” means a deduction that is to be made under regulation 72;

“nursing home” has the meaning it has for the purposes of the Quality, Improvement and Regulation Order by virtue of Article 11 of that Order;

“occupational pension” means any pension or other periodical payment under an occupational pension scheme but does not include any discretionary payment out of a fund established for relieving hardship in particular cases;

“ordinary clothing or footwear” means clothing or footwear for normal daily use but does not include school uniforms or clothing or footwear used solely for sporting activities;

“owner” means the person who, otherwise than as a mortgagee in possession, is for the time being entitled to dispose of the fee simple or leasehold interest of any rateable unit, whether or not with the consent of other joint owners;

“parental bereavement leave” means leave under Article 112EA of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996;

“partner” means—where a claimant is a member of a couple, the other member of that couple; orwhere a claimant is polygamously married to 2 or more members of his household, any such member;

“paternity leave” means a period of absence from work on ... paternity leave by virtue of Article 112A or 112B of the Employment Rights Order ...;

“payment” includes part of a payment;

“pension age disability payment” has the meaning given in regulation 2 of the Disability Assistance for Older People (Scotland) Regulations 2024;

“pension fund holder” means with respect to a personal pension scheme or an occupational pension scheme, the trustees, managers or scheme administrators, as the case may be, of the scheme ... concerned;

“person acting in an official capacity”, where it appears in the definition of “young individual”, means a health care professional, a police officer, a registered social worker, the victim’s employer or any public, voluntary, or charitable body which has had direct contact with the victim in connection with domestic violence;

“person affected” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 3 of the Decisions and Appeals Regulations;

“person on income support” means a person in receipt of income support;

person who requires overnight care” means a person (“P”)—who— is in receipt of armed forces independence payment; is in receipt of attendance allowance; is in receipt of pension age disability payment; is in receipt of the care component of disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate prescribed in accordance with section 72(3) of the Act ; ... is in receipt of the care component of child disability payment at the highest or middle rate in accordance with regulation 11(5) of the DACYP Regulations; is in receipt of the care component of Scottish adult disability living allowance at the highest or middle rate in accordance with regulation 6(4) of the Disability Assistance (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 2025; is in receipt of the daily living component of personal independence payment in accordance with Article 83 of the 2015 Order, ... is in receipt of the daily living component of adult disability payment at the standard or enhanced rate in accordance with regulation 5 of the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022; or although not satisfying sub-paragraph (zi), (i) , (ia), (ii), (iiza) , (iizb), (iia) or (iib) has, or where P is a child, the claimant has provided, the relevant authority with such certificates, documents, information or evidence as are sufficient to satisfy the authority that P requires overnight care; and whom the relevant authority is satisfied reasonably requires, and has in fact arranged, that one or more people who do not occupy as their home the dwelling to which the claim or award for housing benefit relates should—be engaged in providing overnight care for P;regularly stay overnight at the dwelling for that purpose, andbe provided with the use of a bedroom in that dwelling additional to those used by the persons who occupy the dwelling as their home,but, in a case where P is treated as occupying a dwelling which P does not actually occupy, sub-paragraphs (ii) and (iii) are to be treated as satisfied where the relevant authority is satisfied that the dwelling contains such an additional bedroom and that P did or will reasonably so require and so arrange at such time as P actually occupied or occupies the dwelling;

“personal independence payment” means personal independence payment under Part 5 of the 2015 Order;

“personal pension scheme” means— a personal pension scheme as defined by section 1 of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993;an annuity contract or trust scheme approved under section 620 or 621 of the Taxes Act or a substituted contract within the meaning of section 622(3) of that Act which is treated as having become a registered pension scheme by virtue of paragraph 1(1)(f) of Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2004;a personal pension scheme approved under Chapter IV of Part XIV of the Taxes Act which is treated as having become a registered pension scheme by virtue of paragraph 1(1)(g) of Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2004;

“policy of life insurance” means any instrument by which the payment of money is assured on death (except death by accident only) or the happening of any contingency dependent on human life, or any instrument evidencing a contract which is subject to payment of premiums for a term dependent on human life;

“polygamous marriage” means any marriage during the subsistence of which a party to it is married to more than one person and the ceremony of marriage took place under the law of a country which permits polygamy;

“positive conclusive grounds determination relating to modern slavery” means a determination made by a competent authority that an individual is a victim of trafficking in human beings, slavery, servitude or forced or compulsory labour;

“the Post Office” means Post Office Limited (registered number 02154540);

“Post Office compensation payment” means a payment made by the Post Office or the Secretary of State for the purpose of providing compensation or support which is—in connection with the failings of the Horizon system, orotherwise payable following the judgment in Bates and Others v Post Office Limited ((No. 3) “Common Issues”)

“public authority has the meaning given in section 75(3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998;

“the qualifying age for state pension credit” means (in accordance with section 1(2)(b) and (6) of the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002[^f00038])—in the case of a woman, pensionable age; orin the case of a man, the age which is pensionable age in the case of a woman born on the same day as the man;

“qualifying contributory benefit” means—severe disablement allowance;incapacity benefit;contributory employment and support allowance;

“qualifying income-related benefit” means—income support;income-based jobseeker’s allowance; income-related employment and support allowance;

“qualifying parent or carer” means a person who has a bedroom in the dwelling they occupy as their home additional to those used by the persons who occupy the dwelling as their home and who—has a child or qualifying young person placed with them as mentioned in regulation 19(3) who by virtue of that provision is not treated as occupying their dwelling; orhas been approved as a foster parent under regulation 3 of the Foster Placement (Children) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 but does not have a child or qualifying young person placed with them and has not had a child or qualifying young person placed with them for a period which does not exceed 52 weeks;

“qualifying person” means a person in respect of whom a Grenfell Tower payment , a child abuse payment , a Windrush payment, a Post Office compensation payment , a vaccine damage payment , an LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme payment or a miscarriage of justice compensation payment has been made or payment has been made from the Fund, the Eileen Trust , MFET Limited, the Skipton Fund , the Caxton Foundation , the Infected Blood Payment Scheme for Northern Ireland, the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme, an approved blood scheme , the London Emergencies Trust, the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund , the National Emergencies Trust , the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme or the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund;

“rateable unit” means a hereditament as defined in Article 2(2) of the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977;

“reckonable rent” means payments which a person is liable to make in respect of the dwelling which he occupies as his home, and which are eligible, or would, but for regulation 14, be eligible for housing benefit;

“registered housing association” means a housing association which is registered in a register maintained under Article 14 of the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1992;

“registered social worker” means a person registered as a social worker in a register maintained by–Social Work England;Social Care Wales;The Scottish Social Services Council; orthe Northern Ireland Social Care Council;

“relative” means a close relative, grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece except where it appears within the definition of “young individual” and within Regulation A14 where it has the meaning given by Article 2(2) of the Family Homes and Domestic Violence (Northern Ireland) Order 1998;

“relevant authority” means an authority administering housing benefit;

“relevant information” means information or evidence forwarded to the relevant authority by an appropriate office regarding a claim on which rent allowance may be awarded, which completes the transfer of all information or evidence held by the appropriate office relating to that claim;

“remunerative work” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 6;

“rent” includes all those payments in respect of a dwelling specified in regulation 13(1);

“residential care home” has the meaning it has for the purposes of the Quality, Improvement and Regulation Order by virtue of Article 10 of that Order;

“Scottish adult disability living allowance” has the meaning given in regulation 2 of the Disability Assistance (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 2025;

“Scottish basic rate” means the rate of income tax of that name calculated in accordance with section 6A of the Income Tax Act 2007;

“Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme” means the scheme of that name administered by the Common Services Agency (constituted by section 10 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978);

“Scottish taxpayer” has the same meaning as in Chapter 2 of Part 4A of the Scotland Act 1998;

“self-employed earner” means a person who is gainfully employed in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland otherwise than in employed earner’s employment (whether or not he is also employed in such employment);

“self-employment route” means assistance in pursuing self-employed earner’s employment whilst participating in a programme provided or other arrangements made pursuant to section 1 of the 1950 Act (general functions of Department as to employment and training for employment);

“shared parental leave” means leave under Article 107E or 107G of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996;

“single claimant” means a claimant who neither has a partner nor is a lone parent;

“single room rent” means the rent decided by the Executive under paragraph 5 of Schedule 2;

“the Skipton Fund” means the ex-gratia payment scheme administered by the Skipton Fund Limited, incorporated on 25th March 2004, for the benefit of certain persons suffering from hepatitis C and other persons eligible for payment in accordance with the scheme’s provisions;

“special account” means an account as defined for the purposes of Chapter IVA of Part VIII of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations or Chapter 5 of Part 10 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations;

“sports award” means an award made by one of the Sports Councils named in section 23(2) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993[^f00039] out of sums allocated to it for distribution under that section;

“student” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 50;

“tax year” means a period beginning with 6th April in one year and ending with 5th April in the next;

“the Trafficking Convention” means the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (done at Warsaw on 16th May 2005)”;

“trafficking in human beings” has the same meaning as in the Trafficking Convention;

“training allowance” means an allowance (whether by way of periodical grants or otherwise) payable—out of public funds by a government department or by or on behalf of the Department for Employment and Learning[^f00040];to a person for his maintenance or in respect of a member of his family; andfor the period, or part of the period, during which he is following a course of training or instruction provided by, or in pursuance of arrangements made with, a government department or approved by such department in relation to him or so provided or approved by or on behalf of the Department for Employment and Learning,but it does not include an allowance paid by any government department to, or in respect of, a person by reason of the fact that he is following a course of full-time education, other than under arrangements provided under sections 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act (Northern Ireland) 1945[^f00041] or made under section 1(1) of the 1950 Act, or is training as a teacher;

“universal credit” means universal credit under Part 2 of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015;

“vaccine damage payment” means a payment under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979;

“the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme” means the scheme of that name established by the Ministry of Justice in 2012 under section 47 of the Crime and Security Act 2010;

“voluntary organisation” means any association carrying on or proposing to carry on any activities otherwise than for the purpose of gain by the association or by individual members of the association;

“war disablement pension” means any retired pay or pension or allowance payable in respect of disablement under an instrument specified in section 639(2) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003;

“war pension” means a war disablement pension, a war widow’s pension or a war widower’s pension;

“war widow’s pension” means any pension or allowance payable to a woman as a widow under an instrument specified in section 639(2) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 in respect of the death or disablement of any person;

“war widower’s pension” means any pension or allowance payable to a man as a widower or to a surviving civil partner under an instrument specified in section 639(2) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 in respect of the death or disablement of any person;

“water charges” means any water and sewerage charges under Chapter I of Part VII of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 in so far as such charges are in respect of the dwelling which a person occupies as his home;

“the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund” means the registered charity of that name (number 1173260) established on 30th May 2017;

“Windrush payment” means a payment made under the Windrush Compensation Scheme (Expenditure) Act 2020;

“working tax credit” means a working tax credit under section 10 of the Tax Credits Act;

“the Working Tax Credit Regulations” means the Working Tax Credit (Entitlement and Maximum Rate) Regulations 2002[^f00048];

“young individual” means a single claimant who has not attained the age of 35 years, but does not include such a claimant—whose landlord is a registered housing association;who has not attained the age of 25 years and has ceased to be the subject of a care order made pursuant to Article 50(1)(a) of the Children Order which had previously been made in respect to him either—after he attained the age of 16 years, orbefore he attained the age of 16 years, but had continued after he attained that age; ...who has not attained the age of 25 years and was formerly provided with accommodation under Article 21 of the Children Order; ... who is a person who requires overnight care; ... who has attained the age of 16 years and to whom paragraph (1A) applies; who has attained the age of 25 years and to whom paragraph (1C) applies; or who is a qualifying parent or carer; who— after attaining the age of 16 had domestic violence inflicted upon or threatened against them (“the victim”) by their partner or former partner, or by a relative; andprovides evidence to the relevant authority from a person acting in an official capacity that demonstrates that—the victim’s circumstances are consistent with their having had domestic violence inflicted upon or threatened against them; andthe victim has contacted a person acting in an official capacity in relation to such an incident;who has been the subject of a positive conclusive grounds determination relating to modern slavery;

“young person” has the meaning prescribed in regulation 17(1).

(1A) This paragraph applies to a claimant if—

(a) he has, for a total of at least 3 months (whether or not continuously), occupied as his home one or more hostels for homeless people; and

(b) while occupying such a hostel, he has been offered and has accepted support services with a view to assisting him to be rehabilitated or resettled within the community.

(1B) For the purposes of determining whether a claimant meets the condition in paragraph (1A)(a), “hostel for homeless people” means a hostel, as defined in paragraph (1), the main purpose of which is to provide accommodation together with care, support or supervision for homeless people with a view to assisting such persons to be rehabilitated or resettled within the community.

(1C) This paragraph applies to a claimant if he is the subject of risk management pursuant to arrangements established under Part 3 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 (risk assessment and management).

(2) References in these Regulations to a person who is liable to make payments shall include references to a person who is treated as so liable under regulation 8.

(3) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person is on an income-based jobseeker’s allowance on any day in respect of which an income-based jobseeker’s allowance is payable to him and on any day—

(a) in respect of which he satisfies the conditions for entitlement to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance but where the allowance is not paid in accordance with Article 21 or 22A of the Jobseekers Order (circumstances in which a jobseeker’s allowance is not payable) or regulation 27A of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations or regulations made under Article 19A of that Order (“work for your benefit” schemes etc.);

(b) which is a waiting day for the purposes of paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 to that Order and which falls immediately before a day in respect of which an income-based jobseeker’s allowance is payable to him or would be payable to him but for Article 21 or 22A of that Order or regulation 27A of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations or regulations made under Article 19A of that Order;

(c) in respect of which he is a member of a joint-claim couple for the purposes of the Jobseekers Order and no joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance is payable in respect of that couple as a consequence of either member of that couple being subject to sanctions for the purposes of Article 22A of that Order; or

(d) in respect of which an income-based jobseeker’s allowance or a joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance would be payable but for a restriction imposed pursuant to section 5B, 6, 7 or 8 of the Fraud Act[^f00049] (loss of benefit provisions).

(3A) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person is on an income-related employment and support allowance on any day in respect of which an income-related employment and support allowance is payable to him and on any day—

(a) in respect of which he satisfies the conditions for entitlement to an income-related employment and support allowance but where the allowance is not paid in accordance with section 18 of the Welfare Reform Act (disqualification); or

(b) which is a waiting day for the purposes of paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to that Act and which falls immediately before a day in respect of which an income-related employment and support allowance is payable to him or would be payable to him but for section 18 of that Act.

(3B) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person (“P”) is on universal credit on any day in respect of which P is entitled to universal credit (whether it is in payment or not).

(4) For the purposes of these Regulations, the following shall be treated as included in a dwelling—

(a) subject to sub-paragraphs (b) and (c), any land (whether or not occupied by a structure) which is used for the purposes of occupying a dwelling as a home where either—

(i) the occupier of the dwelling acquired simultaneously the right to use the land and the right to occupy the dwelling, and, in the case of a person liable to pay rent for his dwelling, he could not have occupied that dwelling without also acquiring the right to use the land, or

(ii) the occupier of the dwelling has made or is making all reasonable efforts to terminate his liability to make payments in respect of the land;

(b) where the dwelling is a caravan or mobile home, such of the land on which it stands as is used for the purposes of the dwelling;

(4A) References in these Regulations to a claimant participating as a service user are to—

(a) a person who is being consulted by or on behalf of—

(i) a body which has a statutory duty to provide services in the field of health, social care or social housing, or

(ii) a body which conducts research or undertakes monitoring for the purpose of planning or improving such services,

in their capacity as a user, potential user, carer of a user or person otherwise affected by the provision of those services; or

(ab) a person who is being consulted by or on behalf of—

(i) the Department in relation to any of the Department’s functions in the field of social security or child support or under section 1 of the Employment and Training Act (Northern Ireland) 1950 (general functions of the Department as to employment and training for employment), or

(ii) a body which conducts research or undertakes monitoring for the purpose of planning or improving such functions,

in their capacity as a person affected or potentially affected by the exercise of those functions or the carer of such a person; or

(b) the carer of a person consulted under sub-paragraphs (a) or (ab).

(5) Subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954[^f00050] shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

(6) For the purposes of these Regulations and notwithstanding section 39(2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, where a period of time is expressed to begin on, or to be reckoned from, a particular day, that day shall be included in the period.

(7) Without prejudice to any other method of service authorised under section 24 of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, the requirement to send any document under these Regulations may be met by sending it by ordinary post.

(8) For the purposes of these Regulations, reference to a member of a couple who can share a bedroom is to a member of a couple where the other member of the couple is a member of a couple who cannot share a bedroom.

Definition of non-dependant

3

(1) In these Regulations, “non-dependant” means any person, except someone to whom paragraph (2) applies, who normally resides with a claimant or with whom a claimant normally resides.

(2) This paragraph applies to—

(a) any member of the claimant’s family;

(b) if the claimant is polygamously married, any partner of his and any child or young person who is a member of his household and for whom he or one of his partners is responsible;

(c) a child or young person who is living with the claimant but who is not a member of his household by virtue of regulation 19;

(d) subject to paragraph (3), a person who jointly occupies the claimant’s dwelling and is either a co-owner of that dwelling with the claimant or his partner (whether or not there are other co-owners) or is liable with the claimant or his partner to make payments in respect of his occupation of the dwelling;

(e) subject to paragraph (3)—

(i) any person who is liable to make payments on a commercial basis to the claimant or the claimant’s partner in respect of the occupation of the dwelling;

(ii) any person to whom or to whose partner the claimant or the claimant’s partner is liable to make payments on a commercial basis in respect of the occupation of the dwelling, or

(iii) any other member of the household of the person to whom or to whose partner the claimant or the claimant’s partner is liable to make payments on a commercial basis in respect of the occupation of the dwelling;

(f) a person who lives with the claimant in order to care for him or a partner of his and who is engaged by a charitable or voluntary organisation which makes a charge to the claimant or his partner for the services provided by that person.

(3) Sub-paragraphs (d) and (e) of paragraph (2) shall not apply to any person who is treated as if he were not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling under regulation 9(1).

(4) For the purposes of this regulation , regulations 9 and 14(6)(c) and the definition of “linked person” in regulation 2(1) a person resides with another only if they share any accommodation except a bathroom, a lavatory or a communal area within the meaning prescribed in paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 but not if each person is separately liable to make payments in respect of his occupation of the dwelling to the landlord.

Cases in which section 1(1A) of the Administration Act is disapplied

4

Section 1(1A) of the Administration Act[^f00051] (requirement to state national insurance number) shall not apply—

(a) to a claim for housing benefit where the person making the claim, or in respect of whom the claim is made, is liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling which is a hostel; ...

(b) to any child or young person in respect of whom housing benefit is claimed ; or

(i) is a person in respect of whom a claim for housing benefit is made;

(ii) is subject to immigration control within the meaning of section 115(9)(a) of the Immigration and Asylum Act;

(iii) is a person from abroad for the purposes of these Regulations as defined in regulation 10(2), and

(iv) has not previously been allocated a national insurance number.

Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit

5

(1) These Regulations apply to a person who—

(a) has not attained the qualifying age for state pension credit; or

(b) has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit if he, or if he has a partner, his partner, is a person on universal credit, on income support , on an income-based jobseeker’s allowance or on an income-related employment and support allowance.

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) Except as provided in paragraph (1), these Regulations shall not apply in relation to any person if he, or if he has a partner, his partner, has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit.

Remunerative work

6

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, a person shall be treated for the purposes of these Regulations as engaged in remunerative work if he is engaged, or, where his hours of work fluctuate, he is engaged on average, for not less than 16 hours a week, in work for which payment is made or which is done in expectation of payment.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), in determining the number of hours for which a person is engaged in work where his hours of work fluctuate, regard shall be had to the average of hours worked over—

(a) if there is a recognisable cycle of work, the period of one complete cycle (including, where the cycle involves periods in which the person does no work, those periods but disregarding any other absences);

(b) in any other case, the period of 5 weeks immediately prior to the date of claim, or such other length of time as may, in the particular case, enable the person’s weekly average hours of work to be determined more accurately.

(3) Where, for the purposes of paragraph (2)(a), a person’s recognisable cycle of work at a school, other educational establishment or other place of employment is one year and includes periods of school holidays or similar vacations during which he does not work, those periods and any other periods not forming part of such holidays or vacations during which he is not required to work shall be disregarded in establishing the average hours for which he is engaged in work.

(4) Where no recognisable cycle has been established in respect of a person’s work, regard shall be had to the number of hours or, where those hours will fluctuate, the average of the hours, which he is expected to work in a week.

(5) A person shall be treated as engaged in remunerative work during any period for which he is absent from work referred to in paragraph (1) if the absence is either without good cause or by reason of a recognised, customary or other holiday.

(6) A person on income support , an income-based jobseeker’s allowance or an income-related employment and support allowance for more than 3 days in any benefit week shall be treated as not being in remunerative work in that week.

(7) A person shall not be treated as engaged in remunerative work on any day on which the person is on maternity leave, paternity leave , shared parental leave , parental bereavement leave or adoption leave, or is absent from work because he is ill.

(8) A person shall not be treated as engaged in remunerative work on any day on which he is engaged in an activity in respect of which—

(a) a sports award has been made, or is to be made, to him; and

(b) no other payment is made or is expected to be made to him.

PART II — Provisions affecting entitlement to housing benefit

Circumstances in which a person is or is not to be treated as occupying a dwelling as his home

7

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, a person shall be treated as occupying as his home the dwelling normally occupied as his home—

(a) by himself or, if he is a member of a family, by himself and his family; or

(b) if he is polygamously married, by himself, his partners and any child or young person for whom he or any partner of his is responsible and who is a member of that same household,

and shall not be treated as occupying any other dwelling as his home.

(2) In determining whether a dwelling is the dwelling normally occupied as a person’s home for the purpose of paragraph (1) regard shall be had to any other dwelling occupied by that person or any other person referred to in paragraph (1) whether or not that dwelling is in Northern Ireland.

(3) Where a single claimant or a lone parent is a student, other than one to whom regulation 53(1) applies, or is on a training course and is liable to make payments (including payments of mortgage interest or analogous payments) in respect of either (but not both) the dwelling which he occupies for the purpose of attending his course of study or, his training course, or as the case may be, the dwelling which he occupies when not attending his course, he shall be treated as occupying as his home the dwelling in respect of which he is liable to make such payments.

(4) Where a claimant has been required to move into temporary accommodation by reason of essential repairs being carried out to the dwelling normally occupied as his home, and is liable to make payments (including payments of mortgage interest or analogous payments) in respect of either (but not both) the dwelling which he normally occupied as his home or the temporary accommodation, he shall be treated as occupying as his home the dwelling in respect of which he is liable to make payments.

(5) Where a person is required by a court to reside in a dwelling which is a hostel, he shall not be treated as occupying that dwelling as his home.

(6) Where a person is liable to make payments in respect of 2 (but not more than 2) dwellings, he shall be treated as occupying both dwellings as his home only—

(a) for a period not exceeding 52 weeks in the case where he has left and remains absent from the former dwelling occupied as his home through fear of violence in that dwelling or by a former member of his family and—

(i) it is reasonable that payments should be made (whether by way of housing benefit or universal credit) in respect of both his former dwelling and his present dwelling occupied as the home, and

(ii) he intends to return to occupy the former dwelling as his home;

(b) in the case of a couple or a member of a polygamous marriage, where he or one partner is a student, other than one to whom regulation 53(1) applies, or is on a training course and it is unavoidable that the partners should occupy 2 separate dwellings and reasonable that housing benefit should be paid in respect of both dwellings;

(c) in the case where, because of the number of persons referred to in paragraph (1), they have been housed by the Executive in 2 separate dwellings;

(d) in the case where a person has moved into a new dwelling occupied as the home, except where paragraph (4) applies, for a period not exceeding 4 benefit weeks from the date on which he moved if he could not reasonably have avoided liability in respect of 2 dwellings; or

(e) in the case where a person—

(i) is treated by virtue of paragraph (8) as occupying a dwelling as his home (“the new dwelling”) and sub-paragraph (c)(i) of that paragraph applies, and

(ii) he has occupied another dwelling as his home on any day within the period of 4 weeks immediately preceding the date he moved to the new dwelling,

for a period not exceeding 4 benefit weeks immediately preceding the date on which he moved.

(7) Where—

(a) a person has moved into a dwelling for which he is not liable to make payments (“the new dwelling”);

(b) immediately before that move, he was liable to make payments for the dwelling he previously occupied as his home (“the former dwelling”); and

he shall be treated as occupying the former dwelling as his home for a period not exceeding 4 benefit weeks if he could not reasonably have avoided liability in respect of that former dwelling.

(8) Where—

(a) a person has moved into a dwelling and was liable to make payments in respect of that dwelling before moving in;

(b) either—

(i) that person had claimed housing benefit before moving in and either no decision has yet been made on that claim or it has been refused but a further claim has been made or treated as made within 4 weeks of the date on which the claimant moved into the new dwelling occupied as the home, or

(ii) that person notified the move to the new dwelling as a change of circumstances under regulation 84 before the move, or the move to the new dwelling was otherwise notified before the move under that regulation; and

(c) the delay in moving into the dwelling in respect of which there was liability to make payments before moving in was reasonable and—

(i) that delay was necessary in order to adapt the dwelling to meet the disablement needs of that person or any member of his family;

(ii) the move was delayed pending the outcome of an application under Part VIII of the Act for a social fund payment to meet a need arising out of the move or in connection with setting up the home in the dwelling and either a member of the claimant’s family is aged 5 or under or the claimant’s applicable amount includes a premium under paragraph ... 12, 14 or 16 of Schedule 4 or a component under paragraph ... 24 of that Schedule or the claimant or the claimant’s partner is a member of the work-related activity group, or

(iii) the claimant became liable to make payments in respect of the dwelling while he was a patient or in residential accommodation,

the person shall be treated as occupying the dwelling as his home for any period not exceeding 4 weeks immediately prior to the date on which he moved into the dwelling and in respect of which he was liable to make payments.

(9) Where a person is treated by virtue of paragraph (8) as occupying a dwelling as his home in respect of the period before moving in, his claim for housing benefit in respect of that dwelling shall be treated as having been made on either—

(a) in the case of a claim in respect of which a decision has not yet been made the date that claim was or was treated as made in accordance with regulation 81;

(b) in the case of a claim for housing benefit in respect of that dwelling which has been refused and a further claim was or was treated as made in accordance with Part X within 4 weeks of the date on which he moved into the dwelling, the date on which the claim was refused or was treated as made; or

whichever of those dates is the later.

(10) Where a person to whom neither paragraph (6)(a) or (16)(c)(x) applies—

(a) formerly occupied a dwelling but has left and remains absent from it through fear of violence—

(i) in the dwelling, or

(ii) by a person who was formerly a member of the family of the person first mentioned; and

(b) has a liability to make payments in respect of that dwelling which is unavoidable,

he shall be treated as occupying the dwelling as his home for a period not exceeding 4 benefit weeks.

(11) This paragraph shall apply to a person who enters residential accommodation in Northern Ireland—

(a) for the purpose of ascertaining whether the accommodation suits his needs;

(b) with the intention of returning to the dwelling which is normally occupied by him as his home should, in the event, the residential accommodation prove not to suit his needs; and

(c) while the part of the dwelling which is normally occupied by him as his home is not let, or as the case may be, sublet.

(12) A person to whom paragraph (11) applies shall be treated as if he is occupying the dwelling he normally occupies as his home for a period not exceeding, subject to an overall limit of 52 weeks on the absence from that home, 13 weeks beginning from the first day he enters the residential accommodation.

(13) Subject to paragraphs (13B) and (17), where a person is temporarily absent within Northern Ireland from his main dwelling, he shall be treated as occupying that dwelling as his home whilst he is so absent, subject to an overall limit of a period of 13 weeks beginning with the first day of the absence from the main dwelling, provided that—

(a) the person intends to return to occupy the main dwelling as his home;

(b) the part of the main dwelling normally occupied by the person has not been let or, as the case may be, sub-let; and

(13A) The period of 13 weeks referred to in paragraph (13) shall run or continue to run during any period of absence from Northern Ireland.

(13B) Where—

(a) a person returns to Northern Ireland after a period of absence from Northern Ireland;

(b) he has been absent from the main dwelling for less than 13 weeks beginning with the first day of absence from that dwelling; and

(c) at the outset of, or during, the period of absence from Northern Ireland, he ceased to be treated as occupying the main dwelling as his home,

then, for any day that follows the period of absence from Northern Ireland and precedes his return to the main dwelling, he shall not be treated as occupying the main dwelling as his home under paragraph (13).

(13C) This paragraph applies to a person who is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland and who occupied the main dwelling as his home, or was treated as occupying that dwelling as his home, immediately before the period of absence from Northern Ireland.

(13D) Subject to paragraphs (13E), (13G), (17C) , (17D) and (17E) a person to whom paragraph (13C) applies shall be treated as occupying the main dwelling as his home whilst he is absent from Northern Ireland, for a period not exceeding 4 weeks beginning with the first day of that absence from Northern Ireland, provided that—

(a) the person intends to return to occupy the main dwelling as his home;

(b) the part of the main dwelling normally occupied by the person has not been let or, as the case may be, sub-let; and

(13E) If the temporary absence from the main dwelling is in connection with the death of—

(a) the person’s partner or a child or young person for whom the person or the person’s partner is responsible;

(b) the person’s close relative;

(d) the close relative of a child or young person for whom the person or the person’s partner is responsible;

then the period of 4 weeks in the opening words of paragraph (13D) may be extended by up to 4 further weeks if the relevant authority considers it unreasonable to expect the person to return to Northern Ireland within the first 4 weeks (and so that the reference in sub-paragraph (c) of that paragraph to a period of 4 weeks shall, where the period is extended, be taken as referring to the period as so extended).

(13F) This paragraph applies to a person who is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland as a member of Her Majesty’s forces posted overseas, a mariner or a continental shelf worker, and who occupied the main dwelling as his home, or was treated as occupying that dwelling as his home, immediately before the period of absence from Northern Ireland.

(13G) A person to whom paragraph (13F) applies shall be treated as occupying the main dwelling as his home whilst he is absent from Northern Ireland, for a period not exceeding 26 weeks beginning with the first day of that absence from Northern Ireland, provided that—

(a) the person intends to return to occupy the main dwelling as his home;

(b) the part of the main dwelling normally occupied by the person has not been let or, as the case may be, sub-let; and

(14) This paragraph applies to a person who is—

(a) detained in custody pending sentence upon conviction or under a sentence imposed by a court, other than a person who is detained in hospital under the provisions of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986[^f00052]; and

(b) on temporary release from such detention in accordance with Rules made under the provisions of the Prison Act (Northern Ireland)1953[^f00053].

(15) Where paragraph (14) applies to a person, then, for any day when he is on temporary release—

(a) if such temporary release was immediately preceded by a period of temporary absence under paragraph (13) or (16), he shall be treated as if he continues to be absent from the dwelling, despite any occupation of the dwelling;

(b) for the purposes of paragraph (16)(c)(i), he shall be treated as if he remains in detention; and

(c) if he does not fall within sub-paragraph (a), he shall be treated as if he does not occupy his dwelling as his home despite any such occupation of the dwelling.

(16) This paragraph shall apply to a person who is temporarily absent from the main dwelling, if—

(a) he intends to return to occupy the main dwelling as his home;

(b) while the part of the main dwelling which is normally occupied by him has not been let or, as the case may be, sublet;

(i) a person to whom paragraph (16A) applies;

(ii) resident in a hospital or similar institution as a patient;

(iii) undergoing, or as the case may be, his partner or his dependent child is undergoing... medical treatment, or medically approved convalescence, in accommodation other than residential accommodation;

(iv) following... a training course;

(v) undertaking medically approved care of a person ...;

(vi) undertaking the care of a child whose parent or guardian is temporarily absent from the dwelling normally occupied by that parent or guardian for the purpose of receiving medically approved care or medical treatment;

(vii) a person who is... receiving medically approved care provided in accommodation other than residential accommodation;

(viii) a student to whom paragraph (3) or (6)(b) does not apply;

(ix) a person who is receiving care provided in residential accommodation other than a person to whom paragraph (11) applies, or

(x) a person who has left the dwelling he occupies as his home through fear of violence, in that dwelling, or by a person who was formerly a member of the family of the person first mentioned, and to whom paragraph (6)(a) does not apply; and

(d) in the case of—

(i) absence within Northern Ireland, any period of absence from the dwelling is unlikely to extend beyond or, in exceptional circumstances is unlikely substantially to extend beyond, an overall limit of 52 weeks beginning with the first day of the absence from the dwelling;

(ii) absence from Northern Ireland by a person to whom any of sub-paragraphs (c)(ii), (iii), (vii) or (x) apply, any period of absence from Northern Ireland is unlikely to exceed or, in exceptional circumstances is unlikely substantially to exceed, 26 weeks beginning with the first day of the absence from Northern Ireland; or

(iii) absence from Northern Ireland by a person to whom head (ii) does not apply, any period of absence from Northern Ireland is unlikely to exceed or, in exceptional circumstances is unlikely substantially to exceed, 4 weeks beginning with the first day of absence from Northern Ireland.

(16A) This paragraph applies to a person (“P”) who is detained in custody on remand pending trial, detained pending sentence upon conviction, or as a condition of bail, required to reside in a dwelling, other than a dwelling P occupies as P’s home, and who is not also detained in custody following sentence upon conviction.

(17) Subject to paragraph (17B), a person to whom paragraph (16) applies who is absent within Northern Ireland, shall be treated as occupying the main dwelling as his home whilst he is so absent, subject to an overall limit of a period of 52 weeks beginning with the first day of the absence from the dwelling.

(17A) The period of 52 weeks referred to in paragraph (17) shall run or continue to run during any period of absence from Northern Ireland.

(17B) Where—

(a) a person returns to Northern Ireland after a period of absence from Northern Ireland;

(b) he has been absent from the main dwelling for less than 52 weeks beginning with the first day of absence from that dwelling; and

(c) at the outset of, or during, the period of absence from Northern Ireland, he ceased to be treated as occupying the main dwelling as his home,

(17C) A person to whom paragraph (16) applies who—

(a) is a person described in any of sub-paragraphs (c)(ii), (iii), (vii) or (x) of that paragraph;

(b) is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland; and

(c) immediately before that period of temporary absence, occupied the main dwelling as his home or was treated as so occupying that dwelling,

shall be treated as occupying that dwelling as his home whilst he is absent from Northern Ireland, for a period not exceeding 26 weeks beginning with the first day of the absence from Northern Ireland.

(17D) A person to whom paragraph (16) applies who—

(a) is a person described in any of sub-paragraphs (c)(i), (iv), (v), (vi), (viii) or (ix) of that paragraph;

(b) is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland; and

(c) immediately before that period of temporary absence, occupied the main dwelling as his home or was treated as so occupying that dwelling,

shall be treated as occupying that dwelling as his home whilst he is absent from Northern Ireland, for a period not exceeding 4 weeks beginning with the first day of the absence from Northern Ireland.

(17E) A person who is absent from Northern Ireland is treated as occupying the main dwelling as his home during the first 26 weeks of the absence if—

(a) the person was present in a country or territory immediately before His Majesty’s Government—

(i) provided public information to advise British nationals to leave that country or territory, or

(ii) arranged the evacuation of British nationals from that country or territory;

(b) paragraph (13A), (13D), (13E), (13G), (17A), (17C) or (17D) applied to the person when the public information was issued or the evacuation began;

(c) the relevant authority is satisfied that it would be unreasonable to expect the person to return, or to have returned, to Northern Ireland; and

(d) the person did not enter that country or territory when His Majesty’s Government’s public information was to advise British nationals to leave that country or territory.

(17F) Where a person is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland, except where the circumstances in paragraph (17A) apply, the total period of absence where the person is treated as occupying the main dwelling as his home will not exceed 26 weeks.

(18) In this regulation—

“continental shelf worker” means a person who is employed, whether under a contract of service or not, in a designated area or a prescribed area in connection with any activity mentioned in section 11(2) of the Petroleum Act 1998;

“designated area” means any area which may from time to time be designated by Order in Council under the Continental Shelf Act 1964 as an area within which the rights of the United Kingdom with respect to the seabed and subsoil and their natural resources may be exercised;

“main dwelling” means the dwelling that a person normally occupies as his home;

“mariner” means a person who is employed under a contract of service either as a master or member of the crew of any ship or vessel, or in any other capacity on board any ship or vessel, where—the employment in that capacity is for the purposes of that ship or vessel or its crew or any passengers or cargo or mails carried by the ship or vessel; andthe contract is entered into in the United Kingdom with a view to its performance (in whole or in part) while the ship or vessel is on its voyage;

“medically approved” means certified by a medical practitioner;

“member of Her Majesty’s forces posted overseas” means a person who is a member of the regular forces or the reserve forces (within the meaning of section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006), who is absent from the main dwelling because the person has been posted outside of Northern Ireland to perform the duties of a member of Her Majesty’s regular forces or reserve forces

“patient” means a person who is undergoing medical or other treatment as an in-patient in any hospital or similar institution;

“prescribed area” means any area over which Norway or any member State ... exercises sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring the seabed and subsoil and exploiting their natural resources, being an area outside the territorial seas of Norway or such member State, or any other area which is from time to time specified under section 10(8) of the Petroleum Act 1998;

“residential accommodation” means accommodation which is provided in—a residential care home;a nursing home;an independent hospital;an Abbeyfield Home; oran establishment managed or provided by a body incorporated by Royal Charter or constituted by a statutory provision;

“training course” means a course of training or instruction provided wholly or partly by or on behalf of or in pursuance of arrangements made with, or approved by or on behalf of, a government department.

Circumstances in which a person is to be treated as liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling

8

(1) Subject to regulation 9, the following persons shall be treated as if they were liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling—

(a) the person who is liable to make those payments;

(b) a person who is a partner of the person to whom sub-paragraph (a) applies;

(c) a person who has to make the payments if he is to continue to live in the home because the person liable to make them is not doing so and either—

(i) he was formerly a partner of the person who is so liable, or

(ii) he is some other person whom it is reasonable to treat as liable to make the payments;

(d) a person whose liability to make such payments is waived by his landlord as reasonable compensation in return for works actually carried out by the tenant in carrying out reasonable repairs or redecoration which the landlord would otherwise have carried out or be required to carry out but this sub-paragraph shall apply only for a maximum of 8 benefit weeks in respect of any one waiver of liability;

(e) a person who is a partner of a student to whom regulation 53(1) applies.

(2) A person shall be treated as liable to make a payment in respect of a dwelling for the whole of the period in, or in respect of, which the payment is to be made notwithstanding that the liability is discharged in whole or in part either before or during that period and, where the amount which a person is liable to pay in respect of a period is varied either during or after that period, he shall, subject to regulations 77 to 79, be treated as liable to pay the amount as so varied during the whole of that period.

Circumstances in which a person is to be treated as not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling

9

(1) A person who is liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling shall be treated as if he were not so liable where—

(a) the tenancy or other agreement pursuant to which he occupies the dwelling is not on a commercial basis;

(b) his liability under the agreement is to a person who also resides in the dwelling and who is a close relative of his or of his partner;

(i) to his former partner and is in respect of a dwelling which he and his former partner occupied before they ceased to be partners, or

(ii) to his partner’s former partner and is in respect of a dwelling which his partner and his partner’s former partner occupied before they ceased to be partners;

(d) he is responsible, or his partner is responsible, for a child of the person to whom he is liable under the agreement;

(e) subject to paragraph (3), his liability under the agreement is to a company or a trustee of a trust of which—

(i) he or his partner;

(ii) his or his partner’s close relative who resides with him, or

(iii) his or his partner’s former partner,

is, in the case of a company, a director or an employee, or, in the case of a trust, a trustee or a beneficiary;

(f) his liability under the agreement is to a trustee of a trust of which his or his partner’s child is a beneficiary;

(g) subject to paragraph (3), before the liability was created, he was a non-dependant of someone who resided, and continues to reside, in the dwelling;

(h) he previously owned, or his partner previously owned, the dwelling in respect of which the liability in respect of rent arises and less than 5 years have elapsed since he or, as the case may be, his partner, ceased to own the property, save that this sub-paragraph shall not apply where he satisfies the appropriate authority that he or his partner could not have continued to occupy that dwelling without relinquishing ownership;

(i) his occupation, or his partner’s occupation, of the dwelling is a condition of his or his partner’s employment by the landlord;

(j) he is a member of, and is wholly maintained (disregarding any liability he may have to make payments in respect of the dwelling he occupies as his home) by, a religious order;

(k) he is in residential accommodation;

(l) in a case to which the preceding sub-paragraphs do not apply, the appropriate authority is satisfied that the liability was created to take advantage of the housing benefit scheme established under Part VII of the Act.

(2) In determining whether a tenancy or other agreement pursuant to which a person occupies a dwelling is not on a commercial basis regard shall be had inter alia to whether the terms upon which the person occupies the dwelling include terms which are not enforceable at law.

(3) Paragraph (1)(e) and (g) shall not apply in a case where the person satisfies the appropriate authority that the liability was not intended to be a means of taking advantage of the housing benefit scheme.

(4) In this regulation “residential accommodation” means accommodation which is provided in—

(a) a residential care home;

(b) a nursing home; or

Persons from abroad

10

(1) A person from abroad who is liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling shall be treated as if he were not so liable but this paragraph shall not have effect in respect of a person to whom and for a period to which regulation 10A (entitlement of a refugee to housing benefit) and Schedule A1[^f00054] (treatment of claims for housing benefit by refugees) apply.

(2) In paragraph (1), “person from abroad” means, subject to the following provisions of this regulation, a person who is not habitually resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland.

(3) No person shall be treated as habitually resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland unless he has a right to reside in (as the case may be) the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland other than a right to reside which falls within paragraph (4) or (4A).

(4) A right to reside falls within this paragraph if it is one which exists by virtue of, or in accordance with, one or more of the following—

(a) regulation 13 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016;

(b) regulation 14 of those Regulations, but only in a case where the right exists under that regulation because the person is—

(i) a jobseeker for the purpose of the definition of “qualified person” in regulation 6(1) of those Regulations, or

(ii) a family member (within the meaning of regulation 7 of those Regulations) of such a jobseeker; or

(bb) regulation 16 of those Regulations, but only in a case where the right exists under that regulation because the person satisfies the criteria in paragraph (5) of that regulation;

(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4A) A right to reside falls within this paragraph if it is one which exists by virtue of a person having been granted limited leave to enter, or remain in, the United Kingdom under the Immigration Act 1971 by virtue of—

(a) Appendix EU to the immigration rules made under section 3(2) of that Act; ...

(b) being a person with a Zambrano right to reside as defined in Annex 1 of Appendix EU to the immigration rules made under section 3(2) of that Act ; or

(c) having arrived in the United Kingdom with an entry clearance that was granted under Appendix EU (Family Permit) to the immigration rules made under section 3(2) of that Act.

(4B) Paragraph (4A)(a) does not apply to a person who —

(a) has a right to reside granted by virtue of being a family member of a person of a relevant person of Northern Ireland; and

(b) would have a right to reside under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 if the relevant person of Northern Ireland were an EEA national, provided that the right to reside does not fall within paragraph (3A).

(5) A person is not a person from abroad if he is—

(zza) a person granted leave in accordance with the immigration rules made under section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971, where such leave is granted by virtue of—

(i) the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy; or

(ii) the previous scheme for locally-employed staff in Afghanistan (sometimes referred to as the ex-gratia scheme);

(zzb) a person in Northern Ireland not coming within sub-paragraph (zza) or (h) who left Afghanistan in connection with the collapse of the Afghan government that took place on 15th August 2021;

(zzc) a person in Northern Ireland who was residing in Ukraine immediately before 1st January 2022, left Ukraine in connection with the Russian invasion which took place on 24th February 2022 and—

(i) has been granted leave in accordance with immigration rules made under section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971, ...

(ii) has a right of abode in the United Kingdom within the meaning given in section 2 of that Act; or

(iii) does not require leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom in accordance with section 3ZA of that Act;

(zzd) a person who was residing in Sudan before 15th April 2023, left Sudan in connection with the violence which rapidly escalated on 15th April 2023 in Khartoum and across Sudan and—

(i) has been granted leave in accordance with immigration rules made under section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971;

(ii) has a right of abode in the United Kingdom within the meaning given in section 2 of that Act; or

(iii) does not require leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom in accordance with section 3ZA of that Act;

(zze) a person who was residing in Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights or Lebanon immediately before 7th October 2023, who left Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights or Lebanon in connection with the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on 7th October 2023 or the violence which rapidly escalated in the region following the attack and—

(i) has been granted leave in accordance with immigration rules made under section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971;

(ii) has a right of abode in the United Kingdom within the meaning given in section 2 of that Act; or

(iii) does not require leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom in accordance with section 3ZA of that Act;

(zzf) a person who—

(i) was residing in a country or territory outside Northern Ireland immediately before His Majesty’s Government—

(aa) provided public information to advise British nationals to leave that country or territory, or

(bb) arranged the evacuation of British nationals from that country or territory;

(ii) has left that country or territory and is present in Northern Ireland; and

(iii) has—

(aa) a right of abode in the United Kingdom within the meaning given in section 2 of the Immigration Act 1971,

(bb) no requirement of leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom in accordance with section 3ZA of that Act,

(cc) leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom in accordance with immigration rules made under section 3(2) of that Act, or

(dd) leave on a discretionary basis outside of rules made under section 3(2) of that Act; or

Reading this document does not replace reading the official text published on legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies arising from the conversion of the original CLML XML to this format.

This text is published under legislation.gov.uk's own terms of reuse, not a Legalize or public-domain licence. legislation.gov.uk
Open Government Licence v3.0 (attribution required)
© Crown and database right. Derived from content available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 from legislation.gov.uk.