Regulation 76 Time and manner of payment of housing benefit in respect of personal community chargesI1

Subject to regulations 79, 80 and 81 (withholding of benefit, payments on death and offsetting) and paragraphs (2) and (3), where a person is entitled to housing benefit in respect of his liability for a personal community charge, the appropriate authority may discharge his entitlement to that benefit by reducing, so far as possible, the amount of the personal community charge for which he is liable or may pay to him the amount of the benefit to which he is entitled, within 14 days of the receipt of the claim at the designated office or, if that is not practicable, as soon as possible thereafter.

Where the amount of housing benefit to which a person is entitled exceeds his liability for any personal community charge, the appropriate authority may, so far as possible, reduce the next and any subsequent charges for which he is liable by the amount of the benefit in respect of which his entitlement remains undischarged, until that entitlement is fully discharged.

Where a person is no longer liable to an authority for personal community charges and he has paid the charge or charges in respect of which he is entitled to housing benefit, the authority shall pay the outstanding benefit to him within 14 days of it being determined that benefit is due or, if that is not practicable, as soon as possible thereafter.

The appropriate authority, in any case to which this regulation applies, shall notify the person to whom housing benefit is due of the amount of that benefit and the amount of any reduction made in his liability for a personal community charge or in the liability of any partner of his.