How many rooms are allowed
The government rules allow 1 bedroom for:
- every adult couple
- any person aged 16 or over
- any 2 children of the same sex under 16
- any 2 children aged under 10
- a child, if there is no other child they can share with under the rules above
- a foster child or children
- a non-resident carer or group of carers
You are allowed a spare bedroom if:
- you are an approved foster carer, for up to 52 weeks from your last placement, or for up to 52 weeks from when you are approved if you are waiting for your first placement
- you have a non-dependent son or daughter in the Armed Forces, who is away from home on operations
- you have a son or daughter at University who will return during holidays and at the end of their course
Please contact us if you think you should be allowed a bedroom because you are a foster carer or have a non-dependent in the armed forces.
Extra bedrooms are not allowed for children who visit the household at weekends. Where parents who don’t live together have shared care of their children, the children will be treated as living with the parent who is treated as responsible for them and provides their main home.
This room allowance is for Housing Benefit purposes only. If you are applying for social rented housing, your bedroom allocation will be decided in accordance with our Housing Allocations Scheme (PDF).
Contact us
Telephone: 0300 300 8306
Email: benefits@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Please quote your benefit claim reference in all correspondence – your claim reference is either an 8 digit number starting with 900, or a 5 digit number. You can find it on any letter we’ve sent about your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support.