Under occupancy of social housing If you rent from a local authority, a registered housing association or other registered social landlord the amount of Housing Benefit you get will be based on the number of bedrooms your household needs.
The rules allow one bedroom for:
- Every adult couple (married or unmarried)
- Any other adult aged 16 or over
- Any two children of the same sex aged under 16
- Any two children aged under 10
- Any other child
- A non-resident carer
If you are classed as having one or more extra bedrooms your Housing Benefit may be reduced.
If you are under-occupying there will be a reduction in your Housing Benefit of:
- 14% for under-occupancy by one bedroom (approximately £13 per week)
- 25% for under-occupancy by two bedrooms or more (approximately £23 per week)
Additional guidance for:
- Disabled child or disabled non-dependant adult requiring overnight care
- Couple unable to share a bedroom due to disability
Housing Benefit Claimant Factsheet Removal of Spare Room Subsidy
Couple unable to share a bedroom (pdf)
Disabled child or disabled non-dependant adult requiring overnight care (pdf)
Do you or your partner have a carer who stays overnight in your home (pdf)