The Income-related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) Amendment Order 2019

• Citation: S.I. 2019/1243
• Sections: 7

Section 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

(1) This Order may be cited as the Income-related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) Amendment Order 2019 and comes into force on 31st October 2019.

(2) Article 3(1) and Schedule 1 have effect for the purpose of determining subsidy payable for the relevant year beginning with 1st April 2018.

(3) Articles 3(2) and 4 and Schedules 2, 3 and 4 have effect for the purpose of determining subsidy payable for the relevant year beginning with 1st April 2019.

(4) In this Order—

“the 1998 Order” means the Income-related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) Order 1998 ;

“relevant year” means the period of a year beginning with 1st April in the calendar year in respect of which a claim for subsidy is made.

Section 2 Amendment of the 1998 Order

The 1998 Order is amended in accordance with articles 3 and 4.

Section 3 The amount of an authority’s subsidy

(1) For Schedule 1 (sums to be used in the calculation of subsidy) substitute the Schedule 1 set out in Schedule 1 to this Order.

(2) For Schedule 1ZB (additional amount of subsidy: Verify Earnings and Pension Alerts Service substitute the Schedule 1ZB set out in Schedule 2 to this Order.

Section 4 Rent rebate deductions from an authority’s subsidy

(1) Schedule 4A (rent rebate limitation deductions (housing revenue account dwellings)) is amended as follows.

(2) In Part 2 (England), in paragraph 3 (amount of deduction), for sub-paragraph (3) substitute—

(3) The rebate proportion for 2019-20 is 0.726.

(3) For Part 3 (weekly rent limits for purposes of Part 2: authorities in England), substitute the Part 3 set out in Schedule 3 to this Order.

(4) For Part 5 (amounts for purposes of Part 4, paragraph 4: authorities in Wales), substitute the Part 5 set out in Schedule 4 to this Order.

Section 1 Interpretation

In this Schedule—

“relevant activities” means activities carried out by authorities receiving VEP alerts to administer those alerts;

“VEP alerts” means alerts given by the Secretary of State enabling authorities to identify changes in earnings and pensions so as to help prevent fraud and error relating to housing benefit.

Section 2 Additional amount: relevant year beginning with 1st April 2019

The additional amount of subsidy for an authority for the relevant year beginning with 1st April 2019 is the amount specified for that authority in the Housing Benefit Circular HB S10/2019 published by the Department for Work and Pensions on 3rd May 2019 .

Section 3 Use of amount paid under paragraph 2

An authority must use the additional amount received under paragraph 2 in connection with relevant activities.