
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Housing Costs (Executive Determinations) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 and shall come into operation on 30th January 2020.
(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.
2 

(1) The Housing Benefit (Executive Determinations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 3(1A) (broad rental market area determinations) for “2(2A) or (2B)” substitute “2(2)”.
(3) In Schedule (local housing allowance determinations)—
(a) in paragraph 2 (local housing allowance for category of accommodation in paragraph 1), for sub-paragraphs (2A), (2B), (3) and (3A) substitute—“
(2) The local housing allowance for any category of accommodation is the lowest of—
(a) the rent at the 30th percentile determined in accordance with sub-paragraphs (4) to (8);
(b) the local housing allowance last determined for that category of accommodation (or, where the determination is amended under regulation 14F of the Housing Benefit Regulations, the allowance provided for in the amended determination), increased by 1.7%; and
(c) for a category of accommodation listed in column 1 of the following table, the amount listed in column 2 of that table (maximum local housing allowance)—

1. Category of accommodation specified as in paragraph 1 2. Maximum local housing allowance for that accommodation
paragraph 1(a) (one bedroom, shared accommodation) £1,218.57
paragraph 1(b) (one bedroom, exclusive use) £1,218.57
paragraph 1(c) (two bedrooms) £1,413.54
paragraph 1(d) (three bedrooms) £1,657.25
paragraph 1(e) (four bedrooms) £1,949.71”
; and
(b) omit paragraph 5A.
3 

(1) The Universal Credit Housing Costs (Executive Determinations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 3(2A) (broad rental market area determination) for “2(1A) or (1B)” substitute “2(2)”.
(3) In Schedule 1 (local housing allowance determinations)—
(a) in paragraph 2 (local housing allowance for category of accommodation in paragraph 1), for sub-paragraphs (1A), (1B), (2) and (2A) substitute—“
(2) The local housing allowance for any category of accommodation is the lowest of—
(a) the rent at the 30th percentile determined in accordance with paragraph 3;
(b) the local housing allowance last determined for that category of accommodation (or, where the allowance is redetermined under regulation 5 (redeterminations), the allowance as so redetermined), increased by 1.7%; and
(c) for a category of accommodation listed in column 1 of the following table, the amount listed in column 2 of that table (maximum local housing allowance)—

1. Category of accommodation specified as in paragraph 1 2. Maximum local housing allowance for that accommodation
paragraph 1(a) (one bedroom, shared accommodation) £1,218.57
paragraph 1(b) (one bedroom, exclusive use) £1,218.57
paragraph 1(c) (two bedrooms) £1,413.54
paragraph 1(d) (three bedrooms) £1,657.25
paragraph 1(e) (four bedrooms) £1,949.71”
; and
(b) omit paragraph 5.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Baroness Stedman-Scott
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department of Work and Pensions
At 9.10 a.m. on 15th January 2020