Section 140B — Social Security Administration Act 1992: Calculation of amount of subsidy

Calculation of amount of subsidy 140B 1 The amount of subsidy to be paid to an authority shall be determined in accordance with an order made by the Secretary of State.

2 Subject as follows, the amount of subsidy shall be calculated by reference to the amount of relevant benefit paid by the authority during the year ... ...

3 The order may provide that the amount of subsidy in respect of any matter shall be a fixed sum or shall be nil.

4 The Secretary of State may—

a pay as part of subsidy an additional amount specified by, or calculated in a manner specified by, the order; or b deduct from the amount which would otherwise be payable by way of subsidy an amount specified by, or calculated in a manner specified by, the order. 4A The additional amounts which may be paid by virtue of subsection (4)(a) above include amounts in respect of—

a the costs of administering the relevant benefit; or b success in preventing or detecting fraud relating to the relevant benefit or action to be taken with a view to preventing or detecting such fraud.

5 The Secretary of State may—

a where an application is made by an authority on his invitation, pay to the authority as part of the subsidy such additional amount as he considers appropriate in respect of—

i success in preventing or detecting fraud relating to the relevant benefit; or ii action to be taken with a view to preventing or detecting such fraud; or b deduct from the subsidy which would otherwise be payable to an authority such amount as he considers it unreasonable to pay by way of subsidy. 5A The amounts which may be deducted by virtue of subsection (4)(b) or (5)(b) above include amounts in respect of—

a a failure to comply with directions under section 139D(3A) or (3B) above;

and b other failures in preventing or detecting fraud relating to the relevant benefit.

6 In this section “relevant benefit” means housing benefit or council tax benefit, as the case may be. 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 The amount of subsidy payable to an authority shall be calculated to the nearest pound, disregarding an odd amount of 50 pence or less and treating an odd amount exceeding 50 pence as a whole pound.