Under-occupancy rules - the 'Bedroom Tax'
If you are a tenant of the council or a Housing Association (a 'social tenant'), you are receiving Housing Benefit and you currently have more bedrooms in your home than you need,your Housing Benefit is likely to have been reduced from April 2013. You may have heard this referred to as the under-occupancy rule, or 'bedroom tax'.
The amount of rent used to calculate how much housing benefit you are entitled to will be cut by a fixed percentage:
- 14% of the 'eligible rent' (the full rent amount) if you have one extra bedroom
- 25% if you have two or more extra bedrooms.
If you are a pensioner, this measure won't affect you.
Although this happened right across the UK, the Scottish government is helping tenants with the extra cost through Discretionary Housing Payments
Visit our Discretionary Housing Payments page to find out what they are and how to apply.
Other options available to you
You may wish to consider taking in a lodger to help with the costs.
If you choose to move, we will help you as much as possible to transfer to something suitable.