Housing benefits
Local Housing Allowance
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is Housing Benefit to help pay your rent if you are on a low income and rent from a private landlord.
We use Local Housing Allowance rates to work out your Housing Benefit.
Can I claim?
Your claim is based on Housing Benefit rules where we look at your income and circumstances. We use the LHA rate as the starting point.
You can use an independent benefits calculator to check if you can apply for Housing Benefit, or get an estimate from us when you start your application.
How to apply
You can claim Local Housing Allowance by completing a Housing Benefit application.
How much will I get?
How much you get depends on how many people live in the property and the rent levels in the area, not the actual rent charged for the property.
If the rent is more than the Local Housing Allowance, you need to pay the difference to your landlord.
When you apply, we will give you an estimate based on what you have told us. We will let you know what your actual award is once we have processed your claim.
| Bedroom rate | Rate per week | Rate per month |
|---|---|---|
| Shared | £65.25 | £283.53 |
| 1 Bedroom | £92.05 | £399.98 |
| 2 Bedroom | £108.16 | £469.98 |
| 3 Bedroom | £120.82 | £524.99 |
| 4 Bedroom | £156.00 | £677.86 |
| Bedroom rate | Rate per week | Rate per month |
|---|---|---|
| Shared | £57.77 | £251.02 |
| 1 Bedroom | £90.90 | £394.98 |
| 2 Bedroom | £104.89 | £455.77 |
| 3 Bedroom | £120.82 | £524.99 |
| 4 Bedroom | £155.34 | £674.99 |
You can use the LHA bedroom calculator to find out how many bedrooms you are eligible for.