A Government consultation which closed last December has led to proposals that will allow providers of social housing to charge their better-off tenants market rent for their properties.
The proposals are intended to come into effect in April 2015 and will no doubt attract much attention in the run up to the next general election.
The changes will give councils and housing associations the right to charge up to full market rent for any property in which the household income is £60,000 or more.
Under the present rules, once a tenancy has been established, the income of those occupying the property does not affect the rent paid.
It is estimated that more than 20,000 families in social housing will be affected by the change.