The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2025
Source: legislation.gov.uk (2025-01-31)

This Order modifies the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/1984), the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/1995) and the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/382) to update how the local housing allowance is determined. The modifications will apply for the purposes of determining local housing allowances in 2025.

Statutory Instruments

2025 No. 5

HOUSING

The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2025

Made

6th January 2025

Laid before Parliament

8th January 2025

Coming into force

31st January 2025

The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 122(1) and (6)(b) of the Housing Act 1996(1 (\"#f00001\")).

Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2025 and comes into force on 31st January 2025.

(2) This Order extends to England and Wales and Scotland.

Modification to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997

2. For the purposes of determining the local housing allowances in 2025, Schedule 3B to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 (broad rental market area determinations and local housing allowance determinations)(2 (\"#f00002\")) is to be read as if for paragraph 2(2) there were substituted—

“(2) For all broad rental market areas the local housing allowance for any category of dwelling is the allowance determined for that category of dwelling on 31st January 2024.”.

Modification to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997

3. For the purposes of determining the local housing allowances in 2025, Schedule 3B to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997 (broad rental market area determinations and local housing allowance determinations)(3 (\"#f00003\")) is to be read as if for paragraph 2(2) there were substituted—

“(2) For all broad rental market areas the local housing allowance for any category of dwelling is the allowance determined for that category of dwelling on 31st January 2024.”.

Modification to the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013

4. For the purposes of determining the local housing allowances in 2025, Schedule 1 to the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013 (local housing allowance determinations)(4 (\"#f00004\")) is to be read as if for paragraph 2(2) there were substituted—

“(2) For all broad rental market areas the local housing allowance for any category of accommodation is the allowance determined for that category of accommodation on 31st January 2024.”.

Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Stephen Timms

Minister of State

Department for Work and Pensions

6th January 2025

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order modifies the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/1984 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/1997/1984\")), the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/1995 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/1997/1995\")) and the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/382 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2013/382\")) to update how the local housing allowance is determined. The modifications will apply for the purposes of determining local housing allowances in 2025.

Articles 2 and 3 provide that, for all broad rental market areas, the local housing allowance for any category of dwelling is the allowance determined for that category of dwelling on 31st January 2024.

Article 4 provides that, for all broad rental market areas, the local housing allowance for any category of accommodation is the allowance determined for that category of accommodation on 31st January 2024.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

(1)

1996 c. 52 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/1996/52\"). Section 122(1) was amended by paragraph 36 of Schedule 2 to the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5) (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2012/5\").

(2)

S.I. 1997/1984 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/1997/1984\"). Schedule 3B was inserted by S.I. 2007/2871 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2007/2871\") and relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2013/2978 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2013/2978\"), 2020/27 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2020/27\"), 371 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2020/371\") and 2024/11 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2024/11\").

(3)

S.I. 1997/1995 (S. 144) (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/1997/1995\"). Schedule 3B was inserted by S.I. 2007/2871 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2007/2871\") and relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2013/2978 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2013/2978\"), 2020/27 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2020/27\"), 371 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2020/371\") and 2024/11 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2024/11\").

(4)

S.I. 2013/382 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2013/382\"). Relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2013/2978 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2013/2978\"), 2020/27 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2020/27\"), 371 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2020/371\") and 2024/11 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2024/11\").