This is a Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) formal consultation and a call for evidence for The Housing Benefit and Universal Credit (Size Criteria) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013.
The Committee welcomed evidence and views on the definition of the proposed benefit gateway which requires a disabled child to be eligible for the middle or higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance in order to be considered for an additional bedroom under the Housing Benefit and Universal Credit size criteria.
The Department’s draft regulations are designed to ensure that, when applying the size criteria to calculate the maximum amount of Housing Benefit or housing costs under Universal Credit, the relevant authority can allow for an extra bedroom where a child who would usually be expected to share a room is unable to due to a disability.
The Committee considered it important to undertake a short consultation on the definition of the proposed benefit gateway which requires a disabled child to be eligible for the middle or higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance in order to be considered for their own bedroom.
The draft Regulations, Explanatory Memorandum and Equality Analysis can be viewed on the Committee’s website. Responses were needed by 18 October 2013.
You can view Disability Rights UK's response at http://disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2013/october/bedroom-tax-exemption-consultation-our-response