Pennine Housing 2000

Under-occupation

NEW IMPORTANT HOUSING BENEFIT CHANGES

The Government has recently decided on some changes to housing benefit which will start in April 2013. The changes mean that; if you are receiving housing benefit, of working age (under 65) and have a home where there are one or more empty bedrooms, you may get less of your rent paid. This will be a loss of around £11 per week per bedroom. 

For example, if you live in a 3 bedroom house on your own/ with your partner you will have 2 empty bedrooms and will lose £22 per week of your housing benefit. You will have to pay this extra money yourself. Some people will use their spare bedrooms for family who come and visit or stay at weekends and therefore may not think of them as being empty. However, as someone does not live in this bedroom on a full time basis this will still be classed as under-occupying. 

The below will help you to work out if you are classed as under-occupying for housing benefit payments:

Each of the following are classed as needing ONE bedroom:

• two people living as a couple (often couples will not share a bedroom for various reasons however for housing benefit purposes they are only entitled to 1 bedroom)
• a single adult over the age of 16
• two children under the age of 10 (regardless of their sex)
• two children of the same sex under the age of 16
• any other child
  

Examples:

• Couple= 1 bedroom
• Couple with 1 child = 2 bedrooms
• Couple with 1 girl aged 6 and 1 boy aged 8 = 2 bedrooms
• Couple with 1 girl aged 6 and 1 boy aged 12 = 3 bedrooms

Pennine Housing 2000 will not ask you to leave your home, however it is important that you are aware that you may have to pay more of your rent in the future.

If you would like to know your options and how you could move into a smaller home or if you have any queries at all about any of the above please contact Helen Taylor on 07590 227085 or helen.taylor@togetherhousing.co.uk.