Nope even in private...
From DWP...
Removal of the Housing Benefit spare room subsidy in the social rented sector
The
Welfare Reform Act 2012 announced that the current rules for the size of accommodation that Housing Benefit will cover in the private rented sector will be applied to working age tenants renting in the social sector.
From April 2013 all current and future working age tenants renting from a local authority, housing association or other registered social landlord will receive Housing Benefit based on the need of their household.
The size criteria allows one bedroom for each person or couple living as part of the household with the following exceptions:
- Children under 16 of the same gender are expected to share
- Children under 10 are expected to share regardless of gender
- A disabled tenant or partner who needs a non-resident overnight carer will be allowed an extra room.
- Foster carerswill be allowed one additional room, so long as they have fostered a child or become an approved foster carer within the last 52 weeks.
- Parents with adult children in the armed forces (or reservists) who normally live with them will be able to retain the bedroom for that adult child when they are deployed on operations
Guidance was also sent to local authorities on 12 March 2013 to confirm that they should follow case law (Burnip/ Gorry/ Trengove) and allow a room for a disabled child who is unable to share a bedroom.
This means those tenants whose accommodation is larger than they need may lose part of their Housing Benefit. Those with one extra bedroom will have a 14 per cent reduction applied to their eligible rent and those with two or more extra bedrooms will have a 25 per cent reduction applied.
Further Information can be found in the impact assessment and the frequently asked questions: