Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what definition he uses for under-occupancy of social rented accommodation for the purposes of restricting housing benefit.
Steve Webb: The detail of this measure is still being considered but we anticipate that we shall use the same size criteria as currently used for assessing housing benefit in the private sector under the local housing allowance. That is, one bedroom for each of the following:
a couple; a person who is not a child (age 16 and over); two children of the same sex; two children who are under 10; any other child.