Bereavement protection - bedroom tax

Hello
I am advising a lady who lives with her son in a 4-bed council property and is concerned about bedroom tax.  She was exempt from bedroom tax until very recently when her husband died.  Her husband was in receipt of pension credit which exempted the household from bedroom tax.  My client is well below pension age.

Am I correct to advise her that she will have protection for 12 months and that she should be exempt from bedroom tax for 12 months?  She is in receipt of income support - so full HB for 12 months?

Thanks very much

Yes.  12 months’ protection on death applies to every HB rent restriction mechanism including bedroom tax.

However, there is one slight caveat: the protected rate will be the eligible rent which applied at the date of the husband’s death.  That means any rent increase next April will not be covered.

Thanks very much for this.

Martin

Note that this will not apparantly apply to UC bedroom tax decisions.