The Housing Selection Scheme Consultation Paper - Northern ...

Making best use of social housing stock is one of the aims of the size criteria.
The Government intention is that, by moving away from a system of benefit that
pays for any sized home regardless of household need, movement will be
created within social housing stock ensuring that the resulting vacancies are
targeted towards those who need them most.
Size criteria - Key Points
• the size criteria will apply to new and existing working age housing benefit
claimants in the social rented sector.
• the measure is due to come into effect from 1 April 2013.
• by April 2013 the qualifying age for state pension credit is 61 rising to 62
years by the following April so, a tenant who is aged 62 or older before 6 April
2013 (or more precisely anyone born before 6 October 1951) will not be
subject to the size criteria.
• Housing Benefit claimants will be assessed to establish the size of
accommodation the tenant and their household are deemed to reasonably
need (see section on ‘Bedrooms - Housing Benefit Occupancy Rules)
• those who are assessed as under-occupying for housing benefit purposes will
have their housing benefit reduced by a percentage rate of their eligible rent
depending on the number of bedrooms they are deemed to be underoccupying:14%
for one extra bedroom 25% for two or more extra bedrooms
• a tenant on partial housing benefit will have the size criteria applied in the
same way as those on full housing benefit. So, if a tenant whose rent is £80
per week receives £40 per week housing benefit and is under-occupying by
two bedrooms, their benefit will be reduced by 25 per cent of the £80 rent, not
25 per cent of the £40 housing benefit - a reduction of £20 per week rather
than £10.
Bedrooms - Housing Benefit Occupancy Rules
The size of bedroom, for example, single, twin or double, will not be taken into
account and living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms will not be included in the
assessment.
One bedroom is allowed for:
• each adult couple
• any other person aged 16 or over
• two children of the same sex under the age of 16
• two children regardless of sex under the age of 10
• any other child
• a carer, or one of a team of carers, who has a home elsewhere, who uses a
spare bedroom on a regular basis to stay overnight because the claimant or
their partner requires overnight care.
Proposals for Changes to the Housing Selection Scheme 5