Bedroom Tax for 13 months?

Witch_Hazel

Spendless wrote: »

Op-Have you actually been told by your council that you are having a benefit reduction or are you just guessing based on what you've read re same sex children and ages? I had a feeLing that I'd seen on-line something about 4 kids = 4 bed house but couldn't remember where, so my first google found this
http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/housing/looking_for_accommodation/bedroom_standards_policy.aspx

Four bedroom house

• Applicant with 4 or more children

which mentions nothing about the sex/age of kids when it comes to 4 kids. Neither did the previous info I'd read. I'd double check at least.

How many bedrooms can you claim housing benefit for?

From April 2013, new rules on 'under occupancy' mean that you can only claim housing benefit for:

• one bedroom for a couple
• one bedroom for a person aged 16 or over
• one bedroom for two children aged under 16 of the same sex
• one bedroom for two children aged under 10 (boys and girls are expected to share a room)
• one bedroom for any other child
• one extra bedroom if you or your partner needs an overnight carer to stay.

Children who don’t normally live with you are not included in the calculation of the number of bedrooms. If you share the care of a child, the child is counted as living in the home of the person who gets child benefit for them.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/changes_to_local_housing_allowance/bedroom_tax_from_april_2013

What you have posted is a council policy, although the council deem them needing a 4 bed house housing benefit will not pay for 4 bed if any of the above is applicable.

Spendless

Ooops, sorry.:o Maybe that's what I saw before, but I didn't think it was because there were lots of scenarios giving the info you have given with 'how will the bedroom tax affect me?' and examples like Sue and Dave have 8yo boy/girl twins = 2 beds
Pam has 2 boys aged 12 and 15 = 2 beds

and then I'm sure there was one that said Mr and Mrs X have 4 children but it didn't give ages or sexes . I was nosying because I have a great uncle occupying on his own a 4 bed council house that once housed his parents and 10 other siblings, but he's a pensioner and I don't think this is applying to them (yet)? Unfortunately I have no idea where I saw it, or what it was other than it was a council website rather than shelter or a government one. I've even looked thru the threads on DT. I'd like to find it just so I can read it properly.

ETA- Ok this wasn't what I read, but I've found this and put details into the calc saying I rent, receive housing benefit,am under 61, 4 kids, none of whom are 16 and get that based on my answers I shouldn't have to pay a top up. I've put the details in a few times just in case I wasn't doing it correctly.

http://www.bromfordgroup.co.uk/media/611286/benefit_reform_calculator_2.pdf

But it doesn't ask you for ages or sexes of children. The other calculators I've found since come out at needing 3 beds. Not that the OP is going to do it, but I really wouldn't want 4 kids, when there is a 2/2 mix in a 3 bed house. The 3rd bedroom is often only just big enough for one person. I wouldn't even fancy bunk beds in my 3rd bedroom.