Bedroom Occupancy Calculator launched

Published by AntonyD for Jade2003 Ltd in Housing and also in Communities

From April 2013 Housing Benefit will be reduced for tenants with a spare room. Manchester agency Emerald has launched a Bedroom Occupancy calculator smart phone App to helps tenants find out if they are affected by the under occupation rules. The App available on Apple and Android devices provides guidance on options to deal with any benefit reduction. It also allows tenants to request an appointment with a welfare adviser.

The Calculator is powered by Entitledto, the leading benefit calculators for Housing Associations, Welfare-to-work providers, Local Authorities, Charities and other bodies. Entitledto helps over two million people a year claim all their entitlements.

What the App does: It quickly tells tenants if they are under occupying and what the financial impact could be; it sets out tenants' options for dealing with benefit cuts, from moving house to maximizing their benefits, to getting a lodger; it allows tenants to request an appointment with an adviser; and finally it allows landlords to identify the areas of most need.

For more information on the Bedroom Occupancy Calculator, please contact: Antony Dyson: antony@emeraldapps.co.uk