Add the Housing Benefit earnings disregard for specified or temporary accommodation (Sch 4 para 18, from 5 October 2026)

changelog.d/hb-specified-accommodation-disregard.added.md

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+- Add the working-age Housing Benefit earnings disregard for claimants in specified or temporary accommodation (SI 2006/213 Schedule 4 paragraph 18, from 5 October 2026, inserted by SI 2026/753 as substituted by SI 2026/978; Northern Ireland: SR 2006/405 Schedule 5 paragraph 18, inserted by SR 2026/157). Where the claimant or partner is an employed or self-employed earner, £61.41 a week for a single claimant or lone parent under 25 and £77.73 at 25 or over; for a couple, £97.33 where both are under 18, £61.53 where one is 18 or over but both are under 25, and £119.70 where one is 25 or over. It is added to the £5, £10 and £25 disregards, capped at net earnings, and counts in the £17.10 additional disregard's earnings test (paragraph 17(3)(a)). It reads the new `in_specified_or_temporary_accommodation` input, which defaults to false, so it changes no dataset result. The model reads 2026-27 at 30 April 2026, so it applies from 2027-28.

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/age_threshold/older.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+description: Housing Benefit gives the higher specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard to a single claimant or lone parent who has reached this age, and to a couple one of whom has.
+values:
+  # Paragraph 18 has effect from 5 October 2026; its amounts are zero before.
+  2026-10-05: 25
+metadata:
+  period: year
+  unit: year
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard older age threshold
+  economy: false
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(a) to (c)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(a) to (c)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/age_threshold/younger.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+description: Housing Benefit gives a couple the specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard at the minors' rate where neither member has reached this age, and at the younger couple rate where one has but neither has reached the older age threshold.
+values:
+  # Paragraph 18 has effect from 5 October 2026; its amounts are zero before.
+  2026-10-05: 18
+metadata:
+  period: year
+  unit: year
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard younger age threshold
+  economy: false
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(c)(i) and (ii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(c)(i) and (ii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/couple/minors.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+description: Housing Benefit disregards this much of the weekly net earnings of a couple neither of whom has reached the younger age threshold, where the claimant lives in specified or temporary accommodation and the claimant or partner is an employed or self-employed earner.
+values:
+  # Schedule 4 paragraph 18 (NI: Schedule 5 paragraph 18) has effect from 5
+  # October 2026: SI 2026/753 reg. 2(4), as substituted by SI 2026/978 reg.
+  # 2(2), and NI SR 2026/157 reg. 2(4). There was no such disregard before.
+  # Neither instrument uprates the sums. The model reads each fiscal year at
+  # 30 April, so 2026 (2026-27) has no paragraph 18 disregard although it
+  # applied from 5 October 2026 (183 of the year's 365 days); 2027 onwards
+  # has the full amounts. fiscal_year_blend is not used: half of an amount
+  # for the whole year is not the full amount for half the year, because
+  # the disregard is capped at net earnings and counts in the £17.10 test.
+  2006-03-06: 0
+  2026-10-05: 97.33
+metadata:
+  period: week
+  unit: currency-GBP
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard, couple both under 18
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(c)(i)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(c)(i)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/couple/older.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+description: Housing Benefit disregards this much of the weekly net earnings of a couple one of whom has reached the older age threshold, where the claimant lives in specified or temporary accommodation and the claimant or partner is an employed or self-employed earner.
+values:
+  # Schedule 4 paragraph 18 (NI: Schedule 5 paragraph 18) has effect from 5
+  # October 2026: SI 2026/753 reg. 2(4), as substituted by SI 2026/978 reg.
+  # 2(2), and NI SR 2026/157 reg. 2(4). There was no such disregard before.
+  # Neither instrument uprates the sums. The model reads each fiscal year at
+  # 30 April, so 2026 (2026-27) has no paragraph 18 disregard although it
+  # applied from 5 October 2026 (183 of the year's 365 days); 2027 onwards
+  # has the full amounts. fiscal_year_blend is not used: half of an amount
+  # for the whole year is not the full amount for half the year, because
+  # the disregard is capped at net earnings and counts in the £17.10 test.
+  2006-03-06: 0
+  2026-10-05: 119.7
+metadata:
+  period: week
+  unit: currency-GBP
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard, couple with one member 25 or over
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(c)(iii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(c)(iii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/couple/younger.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+description: Housing Benefit disregards this much of the weekly net earnings of a couple one of whom has reached the younger age threshold but neither the older, where the claimant lives in specified or temporary accommodation and the claimant or partner is an employed or self-employed earner.
+values:
+  # Schedule 4 paragraph 18 (NI: Schedule 5 paragraph 18) has effect from 5
+  # October 2026: SI 2026/753 reg. 2(4), as substituted by SI 2026/978 reg.
+  # 2(2), and NI SR 2026/157 reg. 2(4). There was no such disregard before.
+  # Neither instrument uprates the sums. The model reads each fiscal year at
+  # 30 April, so 2026 (2026-27) has no paragraph 18 disregard although it
+  # applied from 5 October 2026 (183 of the year's 365 days); 2027 onwards
+  # has the full amounts. fiscal_year_blend is not used: half of an amount
+  # for the whole year is not the full amount for half the year, because
+  # the disregard is capped at net earnings and counts in the £17.10 test.
+  2006-03-06: 0
+  2026-10-05: 61.53
+metadata:
+  period: week
+  unit: currency-GBP
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard, couple both under 25, one 18 or over
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(c)(ii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(c)(ii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/lone_parent/older.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+description: Housing Benefit disregards this much of the weekly net earnings of a lone parent who has reached the older age threshold, where the claimant lives in specified or temporary accommodation and the claimant or partner is an employed or self-employed earner.
+values:
+  # Schedule 4 paragraph 18 (NI: Schedule 5 paragraph 18) has effect from 5
+  # October 2026: SI 2026/753 reg. 2(4), as substituted by SI 2026/978 reg.
+  # 2(2), and NI SR 2026/157 reg. 2(4). There was no such disregard before.
+  # Neither instrument uprates the sums. The model reads each fiscal year at
+  # 30 April, so 2026 (2026-27) has no paragraph 18 disregard although it
+  # applied from 5 October 2026 (183 of the year's 365 days); 2027 onwards
+  # has the full amounts. fiscal_year_blend is not used: half of an amount
+  # for the whole year is not the full amount for half the year, because
+  # the disregard is capped at net earnings and counts in the £17.10 test.
+  2006-03-06: 0
+  2026-10-05: 77.73
+metadata:
+  period: week
+  unit: currency-GBP
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard, lone parent aged 25 or over
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(b)(ii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(b)(ii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/lone_parent/younger.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+description: Housing Benefit disregards this much of the weekly net earnings of a lone parent under the older age threshold, where the claimant lives in specified or temporary accommodation and the claimant or partner is an employed or self-employed earner.
+values:
+  # Schedule 4 paragraph 18 (NI: Schedule 5 paragraph 18) has effect from 5
+  # October 2026: SI 2026/753 reg. 2(4), as substituted by SI 2026/978 reg.
+  # 2(2), and NI SR 2026/157 reg. 2(4). There was no such disregard before.
+  # Neither instrument uprates the sums. The model reads each fiscal year at
+  # 30 April, so 2026 (2026-27) has no paragraph 18 disregard although it
+  # applied from 5 October 2026 (183 of the year's 365 days); 2027 onwards
+  # has the full amounts. fiscal_year_blend is not used: half of an amount
+  # for the whole year is not the full amount for half the year, because
+  # the disregard is capped at net earnings and counts in the £17.10 test.
+  2006-03-06: 0
+  2026-10-05: 61.41
+metadata:
+  period: week
+  unit: currency-GBP
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard, lone parent under 25
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(b)(i)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(b)(i)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/single/older.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+description: Housing Benefit disregards this much of the weekly net earnings of a single claimant (no partner, not a lone parent) who has reached the older age threshold, where the claimant lives in specified or temporary accommodation and the claimant or partner is an employed or self-employed earner.
+values:
+  # Schedule 4 paragraph 18 (NI: Schedule 5 paragraph 18) has effect from 5
+  # October 2026: SI 2026/753 reg. 2(4), as substituted by SI 2026/978 reg.
+  # 2(2), and NI SR 2026/157 reg. 2(4). There was no such disregard before.
+  # Neither instrument uprates the sums. The model reads each fiscal year at
+  # 30 April, so 2026 (2026-27) has no paragraph 18 disregard although it
+  # applied from 5 October 2026 (183 of the year's 365 days); 2027 onwards
+  # has the full amounts. fiscal_year_blend is not used: half of an amount
+  # for the whole year is not the full amount for half the year, because
+  # the disregard is capped at net earnings and counts in the £17.10 test.
+  2006-03-06: 0
+  2026-10-05: 77.73
+metadata:
+  period: week
+  unit: currency-GBP
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard, single claimant aged 25 or over
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(a)(ii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(a)(ii)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/housing_benefit/means_test/income_disregard/specified_or_temporary_accommodation/single/younger.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+description: Housing Benefit disregards this much of the weekly net earnings of a single claimant (no partner, not a lone parent) under the older age threshold, where the claimant lives in specified or temporary accommodation and the claimant or partner is an employed or self-employed earner.
+values:
+  # Schedule 4 paragraph 18 (NI: Schedule 5 paragraph 18) has effect from 5
+  # October 2026: SI 2026/753 reg. 2(4), as substituted by SI 2026/978 reg.
+  # 2(2), and NI SR 2026/157 reg. 2(4). There was no such disregard before.
+  # Neither instrument uprates the sums. The model reads each fiscal year at
+  # 30 April, so 2026 (2026-27) has no paragraph 18 disregard although it
+  # applied from 5 October 2026 (183 of the year's 365 days); 2027 onwards
+  # has the full amounts. fiscal_year_blend is not used: half of an amount
+  # for the whole year is not the full amount for half the year, because
+  # the disregard is capped at net earnings and counts in the £17.10 test.
+  2006-03-06: 0
+  2026-10-05: 61.41
+metadata:
+  period: week
+  unit: currency-GBP
+  label: Housing benefit specified or temporary accommodation earnings disregard, single claimant under 25
+  reference:
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, Schedule 4 paragraph 18(2)(a)(i)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/schedule/4
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(4) as substituted by the Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, regulation 2(2)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/978/regulation/2
+    - title: The Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, Schedule 5 paragraph 18(2)(a)(i)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/405/schedule/5
+    - title: The Housing Benefit (Earned Income Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, regulation 2(4)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/157/regulation/2