If you rent a council or housing association home and you are assessed as having more bedrooms than is necessary your Housing Benefit may be reduced.
Depending on how many extra rooms you have, the reduction will be:
- 14% if you have one extra bedroom
- 25% for 2 or more extra bedrooms
This could affect you:
- if you are 16 to state pension age (links to GOV.UK)
- even if you are sick or disabled
- even if you only get a small amount of housing benefit, for example because you are working
This will not affect you if:
- you live in a one bedroom flat or bedsit
- you and your partner are of state pension age (links to GOV.UK)
What counts as an extra bedroom?
You are allowed one bedroom for:
- a couple
- a person who is not a child (age 16 and over)
- two children of the same sex, age 10 to 15
- two children who are age 9 and under can share, even if they are of the opposite sex
- any other child
- a non-resident overnight carer
- a foster child or children living with an approved foster carer where an approved foster carer is waiting for a placement
Exceptions apply if:
- part of their parents benefit assessment, armed forces personnel who are away from home on operations will be included as needing a bedroom
- an extra bedroom is needed for children who are unable to share because of their severe disabilities (considered on an individual case basis)
Who is exempt?
There are certain circumstances where the size limit rules will not be applied, including:
- non-mainstream accommodation, such as mooring charges for houseboats and site charges for caravans and mobile homes, as well as various excluded tenancies, such as tenancies entered into before 15 January 1989
- shared ownership properties
- for any claimant placed in temporary accommodation by the local authority because they are homeless or to prevent homelessness
- accommodation where, due to domestic violence or abuse to the occupier or a member of their household, additional security has been installed under the Sanctuary Scheme
Sanctuary Scheme for victims of domestic abuse
To qualify for this exemption you need to be renting from the council or a housing association and:
- the house is too big for you and therefore your Housing Benefit is being reduced by 14% or 25%
- additional security has been installed under a sanctuary scheme as a result of domestic violence or abuse
- the abuser or perpetrator does not live in your house, unless they are a dependent child
- you can provide written evidence to support this by a person acting in an official capacity
