Under-Occupancy Penalty (Report) Bill

A Bill to require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the merits of repealing those provisions of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 which provide for persons to be paid reduced rates of housing benefit or universal credit because their accommodation is deemed to be under-occupied.

Originating House

House of Commons

Last Updated

2 November 2023

In Plain English

AI-generated

This bill would require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on whether to repeal the under-occupancy penalties introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Those penalties reduce housing benefit or universal credit for people living in homes deemed to be under-occupied. The Bill does not itself repeal the rules but asks Parliament to consider their merits through a formal assessment.

Key Points

It targets the under-occupancy penalties (often called the 'bedroom tax') that reduce benefits for households with spare rooms.
It requires the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the merits of repealing those provisions from the Welfare Reform Act 2012.
The bill does not change the law directly; it prompts a government assessment before any legislative change.
Originating in the House of Commons and currently at 1st reading, it is at a very early stage of parliamentary consideration.
The proposal touches housing and welfare policy—and may have implications for how benefits are administered (including online systems) to support the reporting requirement.

Progress

Currently at the 1st reading in the House of Commons; no further stages have occurred yet.

Who is affected?

Housing benefit recipientsUniversal Credit claimantsPeople living in under-occupied accommodation (with spare rooms)Low-income households relying on welfareLocal authorities and Department for Work and Pensions staff who administer benefits

Generated 21 February 2026

Updates & Documents

News (1)

Under-Occupancy Penalty (Report) Bill

23 Mar 2023

The 2022-2023 session of Parliament has prorogued and this Bill will make no further progress.

Parliamentary Votes (0)

No recorded votes for this bill yet.

Under-Occupancy Penalty (Report) Bill | TrackPolitics