How many bedrooms you can claim benefits for
Housing benefit and the universal credit housing element are based on the number of bedrooms you can claim for. Check your bedroom entitlement.
How bedrooms affect your benefit
The number of bedrooms in your home affects the calculation of:
universal credit housing element
housing benefit
The number, age and sex of the people in your household affects the number of bedrooms you can claim for.
Private renters
The maximum amount you can get is the local housing allowance (LHA) rate that applies to your household. This is often less than your actual rent and you must cover any shortfall.
Some private renters are only entitled to the shared accommodation rate.
Council and housing association tenants
Your benefit is reduced if you have more bedrooms than the rules allow. This is known as the bedroom tax. You must cover any shortfall in rent from other income or benefits.
Check how many people you can claim for
If you claim universal credit, only include you, your partner, dependent children and any adults who live with you but don't pay rent. Don't include lodgers or joint tenants except for your partner.
If you claim housing benefit, count everyone who lives in your home including:
you - and a partner if you have one
dependent children
other adults who don't pay rent
lodgers and other joint tenants
Work out your bedroom entitlement
You can generally claim for 1 bedroom for each of the following:
you - and a partner if claiming as a couple
each other couple (only if you claim HB)
each other person aged 16 or over (even if part of a couple if you claim UC)
2 children under 16 of the same sex
2 children under 10 of any sex
any other child under 16
You can only claim for a maximum of 4 bedrooms (including any extra bedrooms) if you're a private renter who gets local housing allowance.
Foster child
You qualify for 1 extra bedroom if you have a foster child placed with you, or for up to 12 months between placements.
Overnight carer
You qualify for an extra bedroom if anyone in your household receives overnight care on a regular basis from a non-resident carer and gets any of the following benefits:
PIP - daily living component
DLA - middle or high care component
attendance allowance - higher rate if you get HB; any rate if you get UC
Disabled person who can't share a bedroom
You qualify for an extra bedroom if due to disability:
an adult can't share with their partner
a child can't share with another child
The disabled person must get one of the following benefits:
PIP - daily living component
DLA - middle or high care component
attendance allowance - higher rate
Report any changes in your household
Your bedroom entitlement could increase if:
a friend or family member moves in
you have a baby, adopt a child or become a foster carer
your child reaches an age where they're no longer expected to share
a disabled household member can't share or needs an overnight carer
Your bedroom entitlement could go down if a household member moves out or is away for longer than the rules allow.
Find out how to report changes if you get:
If a household member is away
You can include a household member in your claim if they're only away temporarily.
How long you can include them for depends on:
where they go
why they're away
how they're related to you
whether you claim housing benefit or universal credit
You can't usually continue to claim for a household member who you don't expect to return within the time limits.
Partners and dependent children
Include them in your claim if they're away in England, Scotland or Wales and expected to return and occupy their room within:
6 months if you get universal credit
12 months if you get housing benefit
They can usually be away for any reason. For example, working or in hospital.
Children in local authority care
If you get universal credit, a child who is taken into care continues to count as part of your household for 6 months if they were included in your claim immediately before this.
Your housing element may go down after 6 months unless your child returns home.
Adult children in the armed forces
If your child or stepchild is away on operations, you can include them indefinitely if they:
lived with you before they went away
intend to return home when not on operations
Household members in prison
If you get universal credit, you can include a household member for their first 6 months in prison even if you don't expect them to return. Your bedroom entitlement could go down after this unless they've returned to the family home.
If you get housing benefit, you can include a household member in prison for up to:
13 weeks if they've been sentenced
52 weeks if they're on remand
You must expect them to return home within this time. They won't count if they decide not to return or end up spending longer in prison.
Absences abroad
You can't usually include a household member who leaves England, Scotland or Wales unless you expect them to return within:
1 month if you get universal credit
4 weeks if you get housing benefit
This doesn't apply to adult children in the armed forces who are away on operations.
If your benefit is wrongly calculated
You can ask for a review of a:
Get help with a review
An adviser may be able to check your entitlement and help you challenge a decision:
Last updated: 4 December 2018