UC and bedroom tax

We are coming across quite a few cases where a tenant has been awarded 100% housing costs and we can’t see why - as we calculate them as having a spare room.  As we know the payment page on the journal doesn’t fully breakdown how the housing costs have been calculated.  Obviously we check the usual reasons for rooms to be allocated i.e ages and gender of children, whether any non-deps, whether room awarded for disabled child or adults who can’t share a bedroom, overnight carer etc,

I am advising tenants to put a note on their journal querying why they are not applying the bedroom tax and asking for specific breakdown/explanation of how they have allocated bedrooms. 

I have escalated a specific case of this recently to our Partnership Manager but not had a response.

We have also had cases where we have applied for a DHP as we assumed 1 spare room but then DHP hasn’t been awarded because UC have paid full.

I am concerned as from what I can see DWP can always recover overpayments (even if caused by their error) and it could be a significant amount if not picked up for a long time. If it was years later the tenant wouldn’t then be able to get a DHP

Is this a problem others have experienced?

Are they in any of the protected groups?  i.e. could afford the rent when they moved in?

Does that protection apply with UC? Last thing I remember it didn’t but things do change all the time with UC …..

Doesn’t apply in the cases we have come across though anyway.

No that rule does not apply in UC.