FROM April 1, all residents in council homes will get their housing benefit cut if they have spare bedrooms.

The benefit cut will be 14 per cent for tenants with one empty room, and 25 per cent for those with two or more bedrooms – meaning the tenant will have to pay to make up the difference in the rent.

That means in order to stay in the property, they will need to pay to make up the difference.

Nationally, 670,000 people will be affected, with the typical cost £14 a week for those with one spare room, or £25 a week for those with two.

2,070 people will be affected across south Worcestershire, of which 802 are in Worcester.

A total of 456 residents will be required to pay about £100 a month.

Strictly speaking, it is not a tax, and the Government calls it a ‘spare room subsidy’.

The new rules allow one bedroom per adult or couple, and children under 10 will be expected to share, regardless of gender.

The number of bedrooms in the property will be determined by the landlord’s tenancy agreement, so you cannot claim a bedroom is actually a living room. Foster carers, Armed Forces personnel and pensioners will not be asked to pay anything, while students are also exempt as long as they sleep at home two weeks per year.

Among those hit worse are disabled people and carers, and some people are said to be already scraping together cash from other benefits to save up for the tax in a desperate bid to remain in their home Furthermore, many council house tenants have “varying levels” of knowledge about the tax, leading to fears the changes will come as even more of a shock The Government says the policy will help cut the annual £23 million bill for housing benefit.

Ministers say the main aim is to free up larger properties for young families who need the bedrooms, while saving the public purse more than £500 million in the first year.

The Government also says too many families are staying in homes too big for their needs, forcing those who need them to live in cramped properties. Worcester MP Robin Walker said: “It will help people on the social housing list get a property and lots of concerns over it have already been add-ressed.” The Government has confirmed foster carers and Armed Forces personnel will be exempt from the changes in response to a major outcry last month.

Pensioners are also exempt.