Bedroom tax: are you affected?
Find out if you are affected by cuts to your housing benefit if you're a council or housing association tenant with a spare room.
What is the bedroom tax?
The bedroom tax is a cut in your housing benefit if you live in a council or housing association home and are classified as having a 'spare' bedroom.
The bedroom tax is also known as the under-occupancy charge.
You claim housing benefit from the council. You can only claim for a certain number of bedrooms, depending on how many people live in your home. The council will let you know if you're affected.
Who the bedroom tax applies to
You may get less housing benefit if all the following apply:
you have a spare bedroom
you live in a council or housing association property
you're of working age
When you or your partner reach state pension age you're no longer affected.
Bedroom tax doesn't apply to you if you live in:
private rented housing (housing benefit is worked out using different rules)
temporary or supported accommodation (it does apply to some council facilities)
To see if you're affected by the bedroom tax, use Shelter's bedroom tax checker.
How much housing benefit you lose
Bedroom tax is applied to your 'net rent' (the rent when things like water charges are removed, as these aren't covered by housing benefit). The housing benefit office calls this your 'eligible rent'.
The amount of net rent is cut by:
14% if you have one spare bedroom
25% if you have two or more spare bedrooms
For example, if your net rent is £100 a week, you need to pay the following extra rent yourself:
£14 more if you have one spare room
£25 more if you have two spare rooms
Bedrooms you can get housing benefit for
You can get housing benefit for 1 bedroom for each:
adult couple
other adult over 16 (this includes lodgers, although rent from lodgers affects how much housing benefit you get)
disabled child under 16 who can't share a bedroom because of their disability
2 children of the same sex under 16
2 children under 10 (including children of the opposite sex)
foster child (only 1 bedroom is allowed regardless of the number or sex of the children)
child away at university who plans to return home (second or third year students living in privately rented accommodation may not count)
child in the armed forces who plans to return home
Any other bedrooms in your home are counted as spare
Bedrooms you can't get housing benefit for
You can't get housing benefit for bedrooms that count as spare bedrooms. This includes rooms you use for:
children who've left home and don't plan to return
children who live with you part time and who you don't claim child benefit for
sleeping apart from your partner because of a medical condition
a 'sanctuary room', where your home was adapted to make it secure for you after you experienced domestic violence
When an extra bedroom is allowed
You can get housing benefit for a bedroom if:
you're disabled and have an overnight carer (only 1 spare bedroom is allowed)
you're a foster carer who's been approved by social services and is between placements or newly approved (only 1 spare bedroom is allowed for up to 52 weeks)
you have a child away in the armed or reserve forces (if they plan to return to live with you)
someone who normally lives with you is away for up to a year if they intend to return and are away for particular reasons (for example, they're in hospital)
If your circumstances change
If your circumstances change, you must tell the council as you could get more or less housing benefit.
This could be if:
your child leaves home and you have a spare room
your child is too old to continue sharing a bedroom with a child of the opposite sex (as soon as they're 10 years old)
someone in your household dies (housing benefit won't be reduced for a year after the death)
you have a baby or adopt a child and need to use your spare room
a relative or lodger moves in with you
you or your partner reach state pension age (use the Gov.uk state pension calculator to check if this applies to you)
you claimed housing benefit for the first time in the last 52 weeks (bedroom tax doesn't apply for 13 weeks)
What you can do if your housing benefit is cut
If your housing benefit is cut, you must pay the rest of your rent yourself. If you can't do this, you could end up losing your home.
To afford the extra rent you could:
try to increase your income
ask your landlord if you can rent out a room (income from lodgers may affect your benefits)
move to a smaller home by applying to transfer your tenancy or exchange your tenancy
You could also apply to the council for a discretionary housing payment.
Get a discretionary housing payment (DHP) claim form
Need expert advice? You can talk to the Carers UK Adviceline five days a week, no matter where you are in the UK or how complex your query is. We do benefits checks and advise on financial and practical matters related to caring.
0808 808 7777
advice@carersuk.org
Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm
The Carers UK Adviceline also includes a listening service, there for you to talk through your caring situation with a trained volunteer who understands what you are going through. Available Mondays and Tuesdays, from 9am to 7pm.
Need expert advice? You can talk to the Carers UK Adviceline five days a week, no matter where you are in the UK or how complex your query is. We do benefits checks and advise on financial and practical matters related to caring.
0808 808 7777
advice@carersuk.org
Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm
The Carers UK Adviceline also includes a listening service, there for you to talk through your caring situation with a trained volunteer who understands what you are going through. Available Mondays and Tuesdays, from 9am to 7pm.