The government has announced plans for other changes starting from 2012. We don't have many details yet and plans may change, but here is what we know so far:

Changes planned from January 2012

• the shared accommodation rate that currently applies to single people under 25 who are tenants of private landlords will also apply to people aged under 35. This means that Housing Benefit for single people aged 25 to 34 will no longer be based on one bedroom self-contained accommodation. Instead, it will be based on the shared accommodation rate, which may be much lower.

  See seperate rule changes for the shared accommodation rate 

Changes planned from April 2013

• Housing Benefit will be restricted

  for some people whose home is larger than their household needs. This will apply to council and housing association tenants of 'working age'. At present, 'working age' people become 'pension age' people when they reach the state retirement age for women. This is increasing from 60 to 65 between April 2010 and April 2020.

• Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates will be increased in line with the Consumer Prices Index

  instead of being linked to local rent levels. This is likely to mean that LHA rates will lose touch with the local rented housing market - they will not reflect local rents;

• There will be a 'benefit cap'

  - a maximum benefit income level. Some benefits will be exempt from the cap. Housing Benefit is likely to be the benefit that will be reduced when someone's benefit income reaches the cap level. The cap is most likely to affect families with more than four children.

• Council Tax Benefit may be abolished

  and replaced with a local scheme run by the council, but this must cost less than the current scheme.

• Housing Benefit will become part of the Universal Credit scheme that will replace out-of-work income-related benefits and tax credits to help people move into work.