Bedroom tax

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The removal of the spare room subsidy, also known as the bedroom tax, size criteria and under-occupation penalty, has been in place since 1 April 2013. This measure applies to housing benefit claimants of working age, and is commonly referred to as the bedroom tax, size criteria, under-occupation penalty or removal of the spare room subsidy.
The cut is a fixed percentage of the housing benefit eligible rent. The reduction of benefit is 14% for one extra bedroom and 25% for two or more extra bedrooms.
The impact assessment by the government shows that those affected will lose an average of £14 a week. Housing association tenants are expected to lose £16 a week on average.

The size criteria in the social rented sector restricts housing benefit to allow for one bedroom for each person or couple living as part of the household, with the following exceptions:

• Two children under 16 of same gender expected to share
• Two children under 10 expected to share regardless of gender
• Disabled tenant or partner who needs non-resident overnight carer will be allowed an extra bedroom
• Approved foster carers will be allowed an additional room so long as they have fostered a child, or become an approved foster carer in the last 12 months
• Adult children in the Armed Forces will be treated as continuing to live at home when deployed on operations
• Disabled children who are unable to share a bedroom with a sibling because of their severe disabilities are allowed their own room

To find out more about the bedroom tax click here

Bedroom tax news archive for 2014

July

Labour calls for bedroom tax vote in the autumn - Labour plans to force a parliamentary vote on the bedroom tax in the autumn, following the Liberal Democrat’s U-turn on the policy last week.
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Delayed report finds bedroom tax is failing - Funders are concerned about the long-term impact of the bedroom tax on ‘tenants, organisations and themselves’, according to an interim report published by the Department for Work and Pensions today.
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June

'Pickle the bedroom tax' protest coincides with minister's speech - Tenants and campaigners today called for the bedroom tax to be ‘pickled’ outside the Chartered Institute of Housing conference, to coincide with a keynote speech by communities minister Eric Pickles.
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Study finds 'fundamental flaw' with bedroom tax - More than half of English homes fall short of modern space standards calling into question the bedroom tax, a study from the University of Cambridge has found.
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May

Family loses High Court challenge against bedroom tax - The High Court has dismissed a bedroom tax challenge brought by grandparents caring for a disabled child.
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Welsh Assembly votes to scrap ‘senseless’ bedroom tax - The Welsh Assembly has agreed a motion to call for the abolition of the bedroom tax.
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Scottish Government given powers to 'offset' bedroom tax - Scotland has been given new powers to add more money to a fund that is claimed will offset the cost of the bedroom tax.
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April

Liberty granted permission for bedroom tax court challenge - A human rights group has been given permission to proceed with a judicial review against the bedroom tax, claiming the policy unfairly affects separated families.
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Landlord gives tenants Crème Eggs as thanks for paying bedroom tax - A housing association has offered tenants a free Crème Egg to thank them for paying the bedroom tax.
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March

Lib Dems propose to overhaul bedroom tax - Pledge to reform the controversial policy is preferred option for the party’s 2015 manifesto.
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Bedroom tax-hit tenants urged to start business in spare room - Tenants could escape the bedroom tax by starting a business in their spare room, a Conservative peer has suggested.
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February

Lib Dems likely to oppose the bedroom tax in 2015 - President ‘does not expect’ support for unreformed policy
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Freud to break bedroom tax pledge - Lord David Freud has backtracked on his pledge to protect vulnerable and disabled people from the bedroom tax, new government guidance has confirmed.
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Successful human rights appeal against bedroom tax - A tribunal has found imposing the bedroom tax on a father who said he needed a second room to accommodate his teenage daughter when she stays with him was an infringement of his human rights.
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January

DWP confirms temporary bedroom tax loophole - Thousands of social housing tenants will be temporarily exempted from the bedroom tax as a result of a ‘technical error’ in legislation.
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Bill banning eviction of bedroom tax tenants widely backed - An SNP politician has supported a bill launched today banning landlords from evicting their tenants because of the bedroom tax.
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Bedroom tax