SOCIAL SECURITY Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and shall come into operation on 2nd July 2001. 2 In these Regulations— “the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act ” means the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000; “the Housing Benefit Regulations ” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 . 3 The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly. Discretionary housing payments 2 1 Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) and regulations 3 to 9, the Housing Executive may make payments by way of financial assistance (“discretionary housing payments”) to persons who— a are entitled to housing benefit, and b in a case where the appropriate maximum housing benefit has been restricted under regulation 10A of the Housing Benefit Regulations appear to require further financial assistance (in addition to the benefit to which they are entitled) in order to meet housing costs. 2 Subject to paragraph (3) and regulations 4 and 5, the Housing Executive has a discretion— a as to whether or not to make discretionary housing payments in a particular case, and b as to the amount of the payments and the period for, or in respect of which, they are made. 3 Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply in respect of housing costs incurred in any period before 2nd July 2001 in the case of a person entitled to housing benefit who requires further financial assistance in order to meet housing costs arising from his liability to make periodical payments in respect of the dwelling which he occupies as his home. Circumstances in which discretionary housing payments may be made 3 For the purposes of section 60(2)(a) of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (discretionary financial assistance with housing), the prescribed circumstance in which discretionary housing payments may be made is where a person has made a claim for a discretionary housing payment and the requirement for financial assistance does not arise as a consequence of— a a liability to meet any of the ineligible service charges specified in Schedule 1 to the Housing Benefit Regulations (ineligible service charges); b a liability to meet rates; c a liability to meet the increase in such payment as is referred to in regulation 8(2A) of the Housing Benefit Regulations (eligible housing costs); d a reduction of an amount of benefit by virtue of Article 43(11) of the Child Support Order (failure to comply with obligations imposed by Article 9); e a reduction of a specified amount of benefit by virtue of section 2A of the Administration Act (work-focused interviews); f a reduction in the amount of a jobseeker’s allowance payable by virtue of Article 19 of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (reduced payments); g the non-payability of a jobseeker’s allowance or a reduction in the amount of a jobseeker’s allowance payable, pursuant to a decision made by virtue of Article 21 or 22A of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (circumstances in which a jobseeker’s allowance is not payable or denial or reduction of joint-claim jobseeker’s allowance); h the suspension of payment of an amount of benefit by virtue of Article 21, 22 or 24 of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 (suspension in prescribed circumstances; suspension for failure to furnish information, etc. or suspension and termination for failure to submit to medical examination) or section 59 of, and paragraphs 13 and 14 of Schedule 7 to, the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (revisions and appeals or suspension in prescribed circumstances and suspension for failure to furnish information, etc.). Limit on the amount of the discretionary housing payment that may be made 4 The amount of a discretionary housing payment (calculated as a weekly sum) shall not exceed, in a case where the need for further financial assistance arises as a consequence of the liability to make periodical payments in respect of the dwelling which a person occupies as his home, an amount equal to the amount of the aggregate of the payments specified in regulation 10(1) of the Housing Benefit Regulations (rent) less the aggregate of the amounts referred to in paragraph (3)( b ) of that regulation, calculated on a weekly basis in accordance with regulations 69 and 70 (calculation of weekly amounts and rent and rate-free periods) of those Regulations. Period for, or in respect of which, discretionary housing payments may be made 5 The Housing Executive may restrict the period for or in respect of which discretionary housing payments may be made to such period as it considers appropriate in a particular class of case or the particular circumstances of a case. Form, manner and procedure for claims 6 1 The Housing Executive may accept a claim for discretionary housing payments— a in such form and manner as it approves; b from— i a person entitled to housing benefit in a case where the appropriate maximum housing benefit has been restricted under regulation 10A of the Housing Benefit Regulations, or ii where it appears reasonable in the circumstances of a particular case, a person acting on behalf of a person so entitled. 2 The Housing Executive may pay discretionary housing payments to either the person entitled to housing benefit, or where it appears reasonable in the circumstances of a particular case, such other person as the Housing Executive thinks appropriate. 3 The Housing Executive shall give a person who has claimed discretionary housing payments or who has requested a review of a decision made in respect of his claim, written notice of it’s decision in respect of that claim or review and the reasons for that decision as soon as is reasonably practicable. Provision of information 7 A person claiming or receiving discretionary housing payments shall provide the Housing Executive with the following information— a particulars of the grounds of claim or, as the case may be, particulars of the grounds for a review; b changes in circumstances which may be relevant to the continuance of discretionary housing payments, and such other information as may be specified by the Housing Executive within such time as it thinks appropriate. Reviews 8 1 The Housing Executive may review any decision it has made with respect to the making, cancellation or recovery of discretionary housing payments in such circumstances as it thinks fit. 2 Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), the Housing Executive may, on any such review, cancel the making of further such payments and recover a payment already made where it has determined that— a whether fraudulently or otherwise, any person has misrepresented, or failed to disclose, a material fact, and, as a consequence of that misrepresentation or failure to disclose, a payment has been made, or b an error has been made when determining the application for a payment, and as a consequence of that error, a payment had been made which would not have been made but for that error. Cost of discretionary housing payments 9 The total amount of any discretionary housing payments made by the Housing Executive shall not exceed the amount allocated by the Department to the Housing Executive under section 61(1)(a) of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act. Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 18th May 2001. John O'Neill Senior Officer of the Department for Social Development