I am requesting some information pertaining to downsizing and bedroom tax.

1. Total number of council households stock: Low Cost Rental Accommodation properties is currently 2622

2. How many council housing households transferred to a smaller property (ie. downsized) between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026: 1

3. Amount collected in bedroom tax in 2025/26 financial year: We do not ‘collect’ bedroom tax we just reduce the amount of rent used in a calculation if this were applicable.

4. Does the council implement any other measures to incentivise downsizing, or disincentivise under-occupying: The Council prioritises applicants who are under-occupying by one bedroom in band 3 and applicants who are under occupying by two bedrooms in band 2 of the housing register.

5.
a) As of 31st March 2026, how many households were paying bedroom tax, broken down by whether they are paying the 1-room rate, or the 2-or-more rate
b) Of the total households paying bedroom tax, how many have been doing so for more than 6 months?
c) Of the total households paying bedroom tax, how many have been doing so for more than 2 years?
Our Benefits manager has reviewed our caseload and have not identified any Housing Benefit claims that we pay that are subject to the bedroom tax regulation as at 31.03.2026.

6.
a) As of 31st March 2026, how many households have expressed a commitment to downsize, or have requested a transfer to downsize but haven’t yet: 44 households were registered on the housing register to downsize as they were under occupying their current social housing properties
b) Of these, how many requested to downsize more than 6 months ago: 32
c) Of these, how many requested to downsize more than 2 years ago: 16