Lone pensioner allowance (NI)

1. The Lone Pensioner Allowance provides an allowance of 20% off the rates bill for persons aged 70 or over who live alone in Northern Ireland. It was introduced with effect from 1st April 2008.

2. This Allowance is not means-tested.

 3. The 20% deduction is applied to the rates bill after the deduction of :

1. any housing benefit and/or
2. rate relief.

4. Whilst the primary condition to receive this relief is that the ratepayer lives alone there can be exceptions to this:

1. Where the applicant is aged 70 or over and receives a prescribed benefit and has a person living with them who provides care for more than 35 hours per week, who is not a disqualified relative. A disqualified relative means a person who is the spouse of the other or they live together as husband and wife or if the person is the civil partner of the other or if they live together as if they were civil partners.
2.  Where the applicant is in a hospital, nursing home or residential care and their main residence is in a hospital, nursing home or residential care home the allowance may still be paid.
3.  If a doctor has certified that the person living with the applicant has a severe mental impairment, which appears to be permanent.
4. Anyone under 18 years old living in the property or over 18 if someone receives child benefit for them.
5. If the applicant provides care for the person who lives with them.
6. The scheme is application based and is administered jointly by Land and Property Services and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Each of these organisations uses a different application form.

Legal sources

Rate Relief (Lone Pensioner Allowance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 No 124

5. These are the main Regulations setting out the rules relating to the allowance.

Changes to the rules

This list identified any changes to the legislation including repeals, amendments and other effects (e.g. modifications and commencement information) made by subsequent legislation