Citation and commencement

1. This Order may be cited as the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Amendment) Order 2017 and comes into force on 26th January 2018.

Amendment of the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997

2. —(1)The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997( 2 ) is amended as follows.

(2) In article 4B(3A) (date on which a broad rental market area determination takes effect)( 3 ), for sub-paragraph (b) substitute—

“ (b) for all other purposes—

(i) on the next 1st April following the day on which the determination is made; or

(ii) where the next 1st April is within 11 months beginning with the day on which the determination is made, on the next 1st April after that. ” .

(3) In paragraph 2 of Schedule 3B (broad rental market determinations and local housing allowance determinations)( 4 )—

(a) in sub-paragraph (3)(a), for “determined for that category of dwelling on 30th January 2015” substitute “last determined for that category of dwelling”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (3A)–

(i) in paragraph (a), for “determined for that category of dwelling on 30th January 2015” substitute “last determined for that category of dwelling”;

(ii) for the table in paragraph (b), substitute—

(4) For the table in paragraph 5A of Schedule 3B, substitute—

Amendment of the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997

3. —(1)The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997( 5 ) is amended as follows.

(2) In article 4B(3A) (date on which a broad rental market area determination takes effect)( 6 ), for sub-paragraph (b) substitute—

“ (b) for all other purposes—

(i) on the next 1st April following the day on which the determination is made; or

(ii) where the next 1st April is within 11 months beginning with the day on which the determination is made, on the next 1st April after that. ” .

(3) In paragraph 2 of Schedule 3B (local housing allowance determinations)( 7 )—

(a) in sub-paragraph (2A), after “Lothian” insert “and East Dunbartonshire”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (2B)—

(i) in paragraph (a), for “category” substitute “categories” and after “(one bedroom, exclusive use)” insert “or paragraph 1(1)(c) of this Schedule (two bedrooms)”;

(c) after sub-paragraph (2B) insert—

“ (2C) For the East Dunbartonshire broad rental market area, the local housing allowance—

(a) for the category of dwelling defined in paragraph 1(1)(a) of this Schedule (one bedroom, shared accommodation), is the lower of the amounts set out in sub-paragraph (3A)(a) and (b);

(b) for all other categories of dwelling, is the lower of the amounts set out in sub-paragraph (3)(a) and (b). ” ;

(d) in sub-paragraph (3)—

(i) in the words before paragraph (a), for “and (2B)(b)” substitute “, (2B)(b) and (2C)(b)”;

(ii) in paragraph (a), for “determined for that category of dwelling on 30th January 2015” substitute “last determined for that category of dwelling”;

(e) in sub-paragraph (3A)—

(i) after “(2B)(a)” insert “and (2C)(a)”;

(ii) in paragraph (a), for “determined for that category of dwelling on 30th January 2015” substitute “last determined for that category of dwelling”; and

(iii) for paragraph (b) substitute—

“ (b) the maximum local housing allowance listed in column 2 of the following table for the category of dwelling—

Amendment of the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013

4. —(1)The Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013( 8 ) is amended as follows.

(2) In article 3 (broad rental market area determinations)( 9 )—

(a) for paragraph (6)(b) (date on which a broad rental market area determination takes effect) substitute—

“ (b) for all other purposes—

(i) on the next relevant Monday following the day on which the determination is made; or

(ii) where the next relevant Monday is within 11 months beginning with the day on which the determination is made, on the next relevant Monday after that. ” ;

(b) after paragraph (7) insert—

“ (8) “Relevant Monday” has the same meaning as in article 4(4). ” .

(3) In paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 (local housing allowance determinations)( 10 )—

(a) in sub-paragraph (3)(a), for “determined for that category of accommodation on 30th January 2015” substitute “last determined for that category of accommodation”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (3A)—

(i) in paragraph (a), for “determined for that category of accommodation on 30th January 2015” substitute “last determined for that category of accommodation”; and

(ii) for the table in paragraph (b), substitute—

(4) For the table in paragraph 5A of Schedule 1, substitute—