Council housing size

[SummerW10]

Hi!
Me and my partner applied for council housing recently and have been accepted and able to bid on 1 bedroom properties.
We are expecting our first child in September, does anybody know if this would mean that we will be entitled to a 2 bedroom property from this point? As we would go from being a couple without children, to a couple with 1 dependant child? Would we be able to go ahead and bid on 2 bedroom properties or would we need to contact them again?

Thanks☺️

That's how it reads to me but if I was you, I would.phone and clarify with your council.

Our Council considers 2 parents and 1 child being sufficiently housed in a 1 bedroom property as the living room counts as a second room.

My sister lives in a two bed council property with her daughter who is in her 30s and her son who is 7 and they are considered adequate because there are two bedrooms plus a living room.

Most (maybe all?) councils now still say 1 bed is adequate with only 1 child as they count the living room. A bit ridiculous really but that’s the case for every one I’ve worked with.

Thank you!
Do you know if we are able to bid on 2 bedroom properties anyway? A lot of the properties that come up in the atea are 2 bedroom so we weren’t sure if we could just try?! Would we just be lower down on the list if we did?

The child doesn't 'count' until it's born anyway

here two bed properties are massively in demand so you’d have little chance of getting one

most councils now will allow up to two adults and two children in a one bed flat. They say the adults can have the front room as if it is a studio flat and the children the bedroom.

I know someone with a husband and four children, who are adequately housed in a two bedroom because of that rule

every council is of course different

Thanks everyone! Ah yes, I completely forgot that they class the living room as I read the word bedroom and thought it would actually mean a bedroom.
Ridiculous really, especially for those with larger families that are expected to live in these 1 bedroom properties:(

My understanding is no you can't be granted a property where you would be under populated.

To be fair they should consider their housing situations when deciding to have (more) children, shouldn’t they?

I would just call them up and ask.

you need to update your circumstances anyway as you are pregnant. It may change your priority if not the size entitlement.

i don’t know about now or other councils but years ago my local council did take children into concentration for house sizing and priority for housing but a woman had to be a certain amount of months pregnant before they did (I assume to lessen people using fake pregnancy to cheat the system and to make it more likely there would definitely be a resulting child in the case of not takin into consideration early pregnancy)

The only people who can tell you for sure are your local council.

In my area an unborn child is not considered a person and you can only bid on what your entitlement is. Also you are not meant to make yourself purposefully overcrowded.

All councils I know of you can only bid to your entitlement, they do make sometimes make exceptions though if you have a large income and can prove you can pay the extra or if there are simply not enough of your entitlement available, it’s very rare though and council’s discretion.

Also remember if you bid on a 2 bed and did get it, your Housing Benefit is reduced for the empty bedroom by around 15%

In my area a child only counts towards bedroom allocations once they turn 1. Until then, the child is expected to sleep in the parents bedroom for the first 12 months. Your council / housing association will be able to tell you their policy

I think it varies by council. Were I am, a baby isn't considered a 'housing need', as it can (and for 6 months should) be in a cot in the parents room.

Every council is different. In my council, you can only bid on one bedroom properties until your child is 1 years old. Then you’re eligible to bid for 2 bedrooms. Doesn’t mean you’ll get it though