Work out how many bedrooms the government says you need
To work out how many bedrooms the government say you need, the rules say that each of the following need one bedroom:
- a couple
- a person who is not a child (aged 16 or over)
- two children under 10 of either sex
- two children under 16 of the same sex
- any other child
- a carer who provides you or your partner with regular overnight care but doesn't live with you
- a carer who provides your joint-tenant or their partner with regular overnight care but doesn't live with you
- a child with a severe disability who is unable to share a room
In addition the rules say:
- If you or your partner are a foster carer with whom a child has been placed, or an approved foster carer who is waiting for a placement, you are allowed one extra bedroom no matter how many foster children you have.
- If your joint-tenant or their partner has a foster child living with them, or they are an approved foster carer waiting for a placement, you are allowed one extra bedroom no matter how many foster children they have.
- You can count an adult child who lives with you but who is a member of the armed forces and away from home on operations as needing a bedroom, as long as they are intending to return to live with you. By an adult child we mean a 'non-dependant' who is the son, daughter, step-son or step-daughter of you or your partner. 'On operations' includes operations in the United Kingdom as long as your non-dependant is living away from your home during them.
How we decide if a severely disabled child is unable to share a bedroom