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Housing Benefit for Council and housing association tenants

We normally work this out based on your full rent (minus any service charges we cannot cover).

Social Sector Size Criteria (bedroom tax)

The Department for Work and Pension sets the rules on how many bedrooms you can have. If you have more bedrooms than your household needs, we may reduce your Housing Benefit. This is called Social Sector Size Criteria or 'bedroom tax'.

Who is affected

  • You are under State Pension age
  • You live in a Council or housing association home
  • You receive Housing Benefit
  • You have more bedrooms than your household needs.

Who is not affected

  • You are over State Pension age
  • You rent from a private landlord
  • You are an approved foster carer. You can have one spare bedroom for up to 52 consecutive weeks between placements. If you are newly approved, and have not yet had a child placed with you, you will be allowed one spare bedroom for up to 52 weeks from the date of the approval. You must provide proof of your approval. If you are going through the approval process, the room will be considered ‘spare’ until you receive approval. 

How it works

If you have:

  • one spare bedroom - we will reduce your Housing Benefit by 14 per cent of your full rent
  • two or more bedrooms - we will reduce your Housing Benefit by 25 per of your full rent.

If your Housing Benefit does not cover your full rent, you will have to pay the difference to your landlord.

Number of bedrooms you can have

You can have one bedroom for:

  • Each adult couple
  • Any other person aged 16 or over
  • A child under the age of 16 who has a severe disability, which means that if they shared with another child, there would be a significant impact on the other child’s sleep
  • Two children of the same sex under the age of 16
  • Two children under the age of 10, whatever their sex
  • Any other child
  • A carer (who does not normally live with you) if you or your partner need overnight care.

If you have a bedroom which is being used in any other way, it will be considered a ‘spare’ room.

More information

Expand all

  • What counts as a bedroom

    Your tenancy agreement defines how many bedrooms your home has. For the purposes of Housing Benefit, this is the information used to decide whether you have a spare bedroom.

    The criteria depends on the number of bedrooms in a property, not the size of the bedroom.

    If the Government deems you have a bedroom you do not need, regardless of its size, it will be classed as a ‘spare room’ and your Housing Benefit will be reduced. 

  • If someone in your household is disabled

    Adults

    If you or your partner have a disability that prevents you from sharing a bedroom, we may be able to award an extra bedroom. We will need to see details about why the disability prevents you from sharing a bedroom. The person with the disability must be getting either the:

    • daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
    • higher rate of Attendance Allowance
    • Armed Forces Independence Payment.

    Children

    If you have children that would normally be expected to share a bedroom and a disability prevents this, we may be able to award an extra bedroom. We will need to see details about why the disability prevents them from sharing a bedroom. The child must be getting the:

    • middle or higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance.
  • Room entitlement if you share the care of your children with an ex-partner

    You are entitled to a room for your children if they normally live with you and your property is considered their main home. If your child/children split their time equally between two households, they will be treated as living with the person who receives Child Benefit for them.

    If you do not provide their main home, you will not receive Housing Benefit for an extra room for them. You will need to pay the difference between your rent and your Housing Benefit. 

  • Moving to a smaller home

    If you currently live in a council or housing association home, you have two options:

    • Move to a smaller home: You can apply on the Moving with Dacorum website. You'll get extra priority or points for having a ‘spare’ bedroom. However, we only have a limited number of empty homes and demand is high. We can’t guarantee a quick move if you have a ‘spare’ bedroom.
    • Swap homes with someone else: You can also swap with another local authority or housing association tenant. This is known as a mutual exchange. For more information, go to our mutual exchange page. There are some restrictions on the size of the property you can exchange into. Conditions on rent arrears, anti-social behaviour and alterations may also restrict your ability to move. 
  • Using a spare room for a lodger

    If you intend take in a lodger you should check your tenancy agreement. You will usually need to ask permission from your landlord first. If you are unsure, contact your Housing Tenancy Officer.

    Taking in a lodger may reduce the amount of Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance you receive. However, the reduction in benefits is likely to be less than the rent you'll earn from a lodger.

  • If you're struggling to pay your rent

    If you live in a council home

    Contact your Housing Income Officer immediately. They can help you restructure your rent payments and find additional support.

    If you live in a housing association home

    Contact your landlord as soon as possible.

    If you do not pay your rent

    We will go to court to seek possession of your home. This is a last resort. If you inform us about your problems and let us work with you, it is very unlikely we would seek possession of your home.

    Discretionary Housing Payments

    You may be able to get some extra help by applying for a Discretionary Housing Payment. 

Page Last Updated: Thursday, 21 November 2024 at 11:20 AM