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50,000 more homes hit by Britain's bedroom tax, as scientists warn of COVID-19 risk

Soaring benefits claims since the start of the pandemic have resulted in a jump in households affected by the controversial ‘spare room’ penalty

By Chaminda Jayanetti
50,000 more homes hit by Britain's bedroom tax, as scientists warn of COVID-19 risk
A protest in Croydon, south London, against the introduction of the bedroom tax in 2013 | Dominic Lipinski/PA Archive/PA Images
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The number of households in Great Britain hit by the bedroom tax has risen by nearly 50,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to figures published today by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The rise comes amid warnings from government scientific advisers that the rule, which reduces support payments to social housing tenants if their property is classed as having a spare bedroom, makes it harder for people to self-isolate and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

In March 2020, 444,756 households were affected by the rule, which the government calls "removal of the spare room subsidy". By November – the most recent month for which data is available – that figure had risen by 10%, to 491,765.

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