LHA rates
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is the way of working out housing benefit for people who live in privately rented accommodation.
LHA is a flat rate allowance based on the size of the household and the area in which a person lives. It is not based on the size of the property.
If a customer finds a property that they like with a rent that is higher than their LHA, they will need to make up the difference themselves.
If a customer finds somewhere with a rent below their LHA, we will only pay LHA up to the amount of rent they have to pay
Rates
You can find the current LHA rate for your area on the GOV.UK website. This will help you understand how much support you may be entitled to.
The actual amount of LHA will depend on the:
- number of people who occupy your household
- BMRA that you live in
- amount of income, capital and non-dependants you have
One bedroom is allowed for:
- every adult couple or single adult
- any other adult aged 16 or over
- any 2 children of the same sex under 16
- any 2 children who are younger than 10
- any other child - a 'child' is someone under 16
The shared room rate applies where the claimant one of the following:
- single, less than 35 years old and not receiving the severe disability premium
- a member of a couple with no dependant children and not renting accommodation with at least 1 bedroom with exclusive use of a bathroom, toilet and kitchen
- has exclusive use of 2 or more rooms and not receiving the severe disability premium
If you are having difficulty paying your rent
If you are having difficulty paying your rent because your rent is more that the LHA rates above you may be entitled to Discretionary Housing Payment – if you need advice or assistance please contact our Customer Services Section on 01753 475111.