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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Housing costs  →  Thread

When is a bedroom not a bedroom?

Pete C
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Pete at CAB

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If a claimant has a room in the house that used to be a bedroom but now has to use this as therapy room for physio equipment would it still count as a bedroom?

I can’t find any definition of ‘bedroom’ other than the ordinary meaning of the word and I casn’t see anything in reg13 of the HB regs that sets any limits on how many rooms other than bedrooms someone may have if the claimant is not subject to the single room rate.

benefitsadviser
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Sunderland West Advice Project

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I may have my monday head on (even though its tuesday!) but reading the posts it seems that there is no clear definition of a bedroom in the under occupancy regs. Am I reading this right?
There is opinion regarding what is or isnt a bedroom from our learned QC friend, but i cannot find a definition that i can use. Does this mean local LAs will have their own criteria, or social landlords will? I cannot believe this can be the case considering the constant media attention on this disgusting tax.
I must have missed something .

Nicolette
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Welfare rights adviser - CAB Wymondham, Norfolk

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Any good referring to The Housing (Overcrowding) Bill?  It stipulates the minimum size for a bedroom and what is necessary for which people.

HK
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Welfare Benefits, Oldham CAB

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Nicolette, is the Housing (overcrowding) Bill currently going through parliament? Or has it already been passed into law, or is it about to be? I haven’t heard about it.

Nicolette
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Welfare rights adviser - CAB Wymondham, Norfolk

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Google it, it isn’t new. Useful dimension info.
N

Ros
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editor, rightsnet.org.uk

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on tuesday, in answer to a written question on how the governement intends to define bedroom for purposes of ‘bedroom tax’, pensions minister steve webb said that -

‘The removal of the spare room subsidy will take account of the number of bedrooms as designated by the landlord. The number of bedrooms within a property is a matter between the landlord and tenant.’

here’s a link to hansard -

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130311/text/130311w0004.htm#13031160000084

HB Anorak
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Benefits consultant/trainer - hbanorak.co.uk, East London

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Tell it to the Tribunal judge!

The way it is framed in the Regs, the number of bedrooms is a question of fact to be decided by the HB decision maker in each case, and appealable to the Tribunal.