The Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001

• Citation: S.I. 2001/1167
• Sections: 8

Section 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001 and shall come into force on 2nd July 2001.

(2) In these Regulations—

“the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006; and

“the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006.

“the Universal Credit Regulations ” means the Universal Credit Regulations 2013;

“relevant award of universal credit” means an award of universal credit the calculation of which includes an amount under section 11 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, calculated in accordance with Schedule 4 to the Universal Credit Regulations, or would include such an amount but for paragraph 3(h) or (i) of Schedule 1 to those Regulations;

“universal credit” means universal credit under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

Section 2 Discretionary housing payments

(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) and the following regulations, a relevant authority may make payments by way of financial assistance (“discretionary housing payments") to persons who—

(a) are entitled to housing benefit or a relevant award of universal credit ...; and

(b) appear to such an authority to require some 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, a relevant authority 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—

(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) in the case of a person entitled to housing benefit or a relevant award of universal credit who requires further financial assistance in order to meet housing costs (other than costs in respect of council tax) arising from his liability to make periodical payments in respect of the dwelling which he occupies as his home.

Section 3 Circumstances in which discretionary housing payments may be made

For the purposes of section 69(2)(a) of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000, 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 or Schedule 1 to the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations (ineligible service charges);

(aa) a liability to meet any payment in respect of service charges other than a payment listed in paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the Universal Credit Regulations;

(b) a liability to meet charges for water, sewerage or allied environmental services;

(c) a liability to meet council tax payments ...;

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

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

(f) a liability to meet the increase in such payment as is referred to in regulation 11(3) of the Housing Benefit Regulations or regulation 11(2) of the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations ;

(g) a reduction of an amount of benefit by virtue of section 46(5) of the Child Support Act 1991 ;

(h) a reduction of a specified amount of benefit by virtue of section 2A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 ;

(i) a reduction in the amount of a jobseeker’s allowance payable by virtue of section 17 of the Jobseekers Act 1995 ;

(j) 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 regulation 27A of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 or section 19 or 20A or regulations made under section 17A of the Jobseekers Act 1995 ;

(k) the suspension of payment of an amount of benefit by virtue of section 21, 22 or 24 of the Social Security Act 1998 or section 68 of, and paragraphs 13 and 14 of Schedule 7 to, the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000;

(l) a restriction in relation to the payment of benefit imposed pursuant to ... section 6B 7, 8 or 9 of the Social Security Fraud Act 2001 (loss of benefit provisions);

(m) a reduction of housing benefit imposed pursuant to section 130B of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (loss of housing benefit following eviction on certain grounds).

(n) a reduction in the amount of benefit due to recovery of an overpayment under Part 13 of the Housing Benefit Regulations or Part 12 of the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations, or recovery of excess benefit under Part 11 of the Council Tax Benefit Regulations 2006 or Part 10 of the Council Tax Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006.

(o) a reduction in the amount of universal credit due to recovery of an overpayment pursuant to section 71ZB of the Social Security Administration Act 1992;

(p) a reduction in the amount of universal credit pursuant to a decision made under section 26 or 27 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

Section 4 Limit on the amount of the discretionary housing payment that may be made

(1) Where a person is entitled to housing benefit the amount of the discretionary housing payment (if calculated as a weekly sum) shall not exceed—

(a) the aggregate of the payments specified in regulation 12(1) of the Housing Benefit Regulations less the aggregate of the amounts referred to in regulation 12B(2) of those Regulations calculated on a weekly basis in accordance with regulations 80 and 81 of those Regulations; or

(b) the aggregate of the payments specified in regulation 12(1) of the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations less the aggregate of the amounts referred to in regulation 12B(2) of those Regulations, calculated on a weekly basis in accordance with regulations 61 and 62 of those Regulations.

(2) Where a person is entitled to a relevant award of universal credit the amount of the discretionary housing payment (if calculated as a monthly sum) shall not exceed—

(a) the amount calculated in accordance with Schedule 4 to the Universal Credit Regulations; or

(b) where paragraph 3(h) or (i) of Schedule 1 to the Universal Credit Regulations applies, the aggregate of the payments referred to in paragraph 3 of Schedule 4 to those Regulations, calculated on a monthly basis.

Section 5 Period for, or in respect of which, discretionary housing payments may be made

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a relevant authority may restrict the period for or in respect of which discretionary housing payments may be made to such period as it considers appropriate in the particular circumstances of a case.

(2) A relevant authority may make discretionary housing payments to a person only in respect of a period during which that person is or was entitled to housing benefit or relevant award of universal credit ....

Section 6 Form, manner and procedure for claims

(1) A relevant authority may accept a claim for discretionary housing payments—

(a) in such form and manner as it approves;

(b) from—

(i) a person entitled to either housing benefit or relevant award of universal credit ...; or

(ii) where it appears reasonable in the circumstances of a particular case, a person acting on behalf of a person so entitled.

(2) A relevant authority may pay discretionary housing payments to either the person entitled to housing benefit ... or relevant award of universal credit where it appears reasonable in the circumstances of a particular case, such other person as the authority thinks appropriate.

(3) A relevant authority 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 its decision in respect of that claim or review and the reasons for that decision as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Section 7 Provision of information

A person claiming or receiving discretionary housing payments shall provide a relevant authority 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 relevant authority within such time as that authority thinks appropriate.

Section 8 Reviews

(1) A relevant authority 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) above, a relevant authority may, on any such review, cancel the making of further such payments and recover a payment already made where that authority 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.