The number of bedrooms you need
The benefit you receive can be affected by the number of bedrooms you and your household need.
The size criteria is the same for everyone but the effect of the rules will differ if you are a private tenant or a social housing tenant (your landlord is the council or a housing association).
There are different rules if you are under 35 years old, or you live in shared accommodation.
The rules allow one bedroom for
- Every adult couple (married or unmarried)
- Any other adult aged 16 or over
- Any two children of the same sex aged under 16
- Any two children aged under 10
- A child unable to share due to disability (DLA Middle/High Care or PIP Daily Living component must be in payment for child)
- Any other child, (other than a child whose main home is elsewhere)
- A foster child placed with you (or for up to 52 weeks between placements)
- A non resident student son or daughter
- Adult children in the armed forces and deployed on operations
- A non resident carer (or team of carers) who do not live with you but provide you or your partner with overnight care
- When a disabled child/disabled non dependant requires and receives overnight care from a non-resident carer (they must receive one of the following: DLA Middle/High Care or PIP Daily Living component, Attendance Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment )
- When you are unable to share a room with your partner because of a disability (you or your partner must receive one of the following: DLA Middle/High rate, PIP Daily Living Component, Attendance Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment)
- A resident carer
- If your joint tenant (or their partner) need another room for an overnight carer or a foster child (does not apply to Local Housing Allowance claims)
