Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will introduce an exemption to permit students from low-income families to travel during a gap year without the family home incurring an under-occupancy penalty.

The Government has no plans to introduce an exemption from the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy to allow students from low income families to travel during a gap year without the household incurring a reduction in benefit due to under-occupancy.