If you have more bedrooms than the government thinks you are entitled to, the amount of housing support you receive as part of your Universal Credit or Housing Benefit payment will be reduced, unless you are of pension age.
The number of bedrooms allowed depends on your age, the age and sex of your children, whether any other adults live with you and any special circumstances.
You can read more about bedroom allowances here.
For social housing tenants this is worked out as follows:
- If you have one spare room, your housing support will be reduced by 14%
- If you have two or more spare rooms, your housing support will be reduced by 25%
If you rent privately, the reduction in benefit will be determined by the Local Housing Allowance.
Under occupancy/spare bedrooms for private tenants
Local Housing Allowance is used to work out the maximum amount that people renting from a private landlord will receive in Universal Credit, or housing benefit. It’s determined by the Valuation Office Agency and is based on where you live and the number of bedrooms you need.
You can work out your bedroom requirement using this LHA bedroom calculator.
The maximum Local Housing Allowances rates for Tamworth are available in the section below and the amount awarded will depend on individual circumstances.
For more information about how the housing element of Universal Credit is worked out, please see this guide to Universal Credit housing.
If you need help, please contact the customer services team on 01827 709540 or email benefits@tamworth.gov.uk.
Local Housing Allowances 2023-2024
Once you have worked out how many bedrooms you are entitled to, you can use the figures below to see how much benefit support you might get.
All Local Housing Allowances claimed by people in Tamworth will be based on these rates.
| Weekly | 4 Weekly | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared accommodation rate | £67.08 | £268.32 | £291.48 |
| 1 bedroom rate | £97.81 | £391.24 | £425.01 |
| 2 bedroom rate | £126.58 | £506.32 | £550.02 |
| 3 bedroom rate | £149.59 | £598.36 | £650.00 |
| 4 bedroom rate | £195.62 | £782.48 | £850.02 |
The shared accommodation rate is applied if a tenant does not have exclusive use of more than one room and shares any, or all, of a kitchen, a room suitable for living in, and a bathroom or a toilet. The shared accommodation rate also applies to all claimants under 35.
If you are eligible for a property with more than four bedrooms, please note that your Local Housing Allowance will be restricted to the four-bedroom rate.
For further information please contact the customer services team on 01827 709540 or email: benefits@tamworth.gov.uk