Where a couple need to sleep in separate bedrooms due to a direct medical need, the size criteria allow them to be allocated a bedroom each -
click here for the rules.
There will be situations where although the claimant believes they have a genuine reason for needing to sleep in separate bedrooms, the DWP do not agree and therefore do not allocate them a bedroom each.
If there is a direct medical need for the couple to sleep in separate bedrooms and the disabled member is in receipt of one of the benefits as required by the rules, then they should challenge that decision. T
hey can use our Standard Letter UC BT9. (Note - the claimant should make this request through their on line UC account)
This would include couples who have to sleep in separate beds due to one member's disability and their bedroom is not large enough for two single beds and where the disabled member, due to their disability, would disturbs the other member during the night to an unreasonable extent so they have to sleep in a separate bedroom.
If the claimant wishes to challenge a DWP decision that they can share a bedroom because they do not feel that any disturbance is unreasonable then the claimant should be advised to provide as much details as possible about the disruption caused and the impact it has.
What about non-dependant couples?Under UC rules a non-dependant couple will be allocated a bedroom each regardless of their circumstances ie even if they share one bedroom.
Universal Credit regulations 2013, Schedule 4:
(6A) A renter satisfies the disabled person condition if they would (but for the
provisions of this paragraph) be expected to share a bedroom with a joint renter and–
(a) the renter is in receipt of–
(i) the care component of disability living allowance at the middle or
highest rate;
(ii) attendance allowance at the higher rate;
(iii) the daily living component of personal independence payment; and
(b) the renter is, by virtue of their disability, not reasonably able to share a bedroom
with the joint renter.
Allocated too many bedrooms due to a computer Glitch?