Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance he has issued to local authorities and housing associations about the classification of a bedroom under the under-occupation penalty to housing benefit; and what assessment he has made of the safe minimum size of a bedroom to be shared by two siblings.

Steve Webb: Together with the Department for Communities and Local Government we have worked with the Chartered Institute of Housing who have produced an online guide for social sector landlords "Making it Fit—a guide to preparing for the social size criteria". This was launched in June last year and is designed to help landlords to develop a strategic and operational approach to the size criteria, tailored to their local area. 

Separate guidance has not been issued on the size of rooms or their suitability for use as a bedroom. Rent levels generally reflect the number of bedrooms in the property and may take into account their size, but it is for tenants to decide at the point of accepting the tenancy whether the rooms are of a suitable size for their needs. 

The size criteria rules take account of the number of bedrooms as designated by the landlord and compare this with the composition of the household in order to establish whether or not to apply a reduction due to under-occupation.