Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Housing Renewal Grants Regulations 1996 (“the principal Regulations”), which provide (in Part I) for housing renewal grants generally, and (in Part II) for the amount of renovation grant and disabled facilities grant which may be paid by local housing authorities in respect of applications by owner-occupiers and tenants, under Chapter I of Part I of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. The amendments, which are to Part II of the principal Regulations, reflect recent changes to housing benefit rules and in addition make minor and drafting changes.

Regulations 3 to 8 contain the amendments. In particular:

• regulation 3 substitutes new regulation 5 of the principal Regulations (definition of relevant person) which is changed with particular reference to applications for disabled facilities grant;

• regulation 4 changes the multipliers and amounts in regulation 12 of the principal Regulations (reduction in amount of grant);

• regulation 6(a), (b), (c) and (f) amend Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (applicable amounts) by uprating the applicable amounts and premiums, subject to transitional provisions for certain children and young persons, contained in regulation 9;

• regulation 7 substitutes, in Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations (sums to be disregarded in the determination of earnings), for “lone parent premium”, references to “family premium”.

Regulation 9 makes transitional provision in respect of certain children’s and young persons' personal allowances.

Regulation 10 stops the Regulations applying to applications for grant made before they come into force.