The claim
A video post on TikTok has claimed the Government is planning to “downsize the homes of pensioners and council tenants with extra bedrooms”. It attributes to the plan to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and quotes her as saying: “The aim is to free up housing for the refugees who’ll be allowed to bring their families from abroad.” The post also suggests the plan has been implemented to reduce the reliance on using hotels.
Rating
The Government has not announced any policy of acquiring homes with “spare” bedrooms or even encouraging the sale of such homes. The use of hotels to house those awaiting decisions on asylum claims is expected to continue indefinitely, with no drastic measures to end the policy soon.
Reviewed by PA Media ↗ ·
Original fact check ↗Sources and attribution
- [original] PA Media original review
Original review · Retrieved October 16, 2026