How to deal with the bedroom tax

The bedroom tax means you get less benefit money for rent if you are:

• working age

• classed as having a spare bedroom

• a council or housing association tenant

You get less universal credit (UC) or housing benefit. You pay more of your rent yourself.

The bedroom tax is sometimes called an 'under occupancy charge'.

If you are pension age

Most pension age people do not have to pay the bedroom tax.

But your UC could go down if your partner is below pension age and you claim as a couple.

Check the date you reach pension age on GOV.UK

How many bedrooms can you get benefits for?

This depends on:

• how many people live in your home

• their age and sex

If you have more bedrooms than allowed, it counts as a spare bedroom even if you use it or someone sleeps in it.

How much benefit do you lose?

Your UC housing element or housing benefit goes down.

The rent that can be covered goes down by:

• 14% for 1 spare bedroom

• 25% for 2 or more spare bedrooms

If someone you live with dies

Universal credit does not usually go down straight away if someone you live with dies.

For up to 3 months your benefit is worked out as if they had not died. This is sometimes called 'bereavement run on'.

You should not be affected by the bedroom tax during this time.

Marie Curie charity has a guide to benefits when someone dies.

Apply for housing payments

Housing payments are extra help with rent from your council.

They could top up your benefits if you are struggling with rent because of the bedroom tax.

Housing payments used to be called discretionary housing payments (DHP).

Think about downsizing

Your council or housing association might encourage you to move to a smaller home. They should not pressure you to do this.

Find out about being asked to downsize after a tenant has died.

Some councils and housing associations give you:

• priority for a tenancy transfer

• practical help or money to move

You could also look for a mutual exchange with another tenant.

It is not a good idea to give up your social tenancy to rent privately. 

This is because:

• private rents are high

• local housing allowance may not cover your rent

• you might have to leave if your landlord wants to sell or move in themselves

• it could be very hard to get another council or housing association home

Let someone move in to your spare room

A family member or a friend could move into your spare room.

Adults who live with you informally and do not pay you rent are called 'non dependants'.

Your benefit will not be affected by the bedroom tax anymore. But a family member or friend who lives with you is usually expected to pay something towards your rent.

The DWP or council might make a non dependant deduction from your benefit.

More on:

• universal credit non dependant deductions

• housing benefit non dependant deductions

Rent out your spare room

You can rent the room to a lodger if you have a secure tenancy.

With other tenancy types you need your landlord's permission.

You should not sublet without permission because it breaks your tenancy agreement and you could be evicted.

It is different if you get housing benefit. If you get a lodger, the council does not make a bedroom tax deduction.

You can charge a lodger up to £20 a week. This will not affect your housing benefit or other benefits. If you charge more it counts as income and your benefits can go down.

Get benefits advice

Check your benefits with the entitledto benefits calculator.

Try and speak to a benefits adviser before doing anything that could affect your benefits. An adviser could help with a 'better off' calculation to work out what is best for you.

Find out where to get benefits advice.

Challenge a bedroom tax decision

You can ask for a review of a benefits decision if you think it's wrong.

Find out more from Citizens Advice about challenging a:

• universal credit decision

• housing benefit decision