Local housing allowance (LHA) is a housing benefit awarded to tenants that live in privately rented accommodation.
The LHA rate that can be awarded is based on the number of bedrooms that a household needs (up to a maximum of 4), not the number of rooms in the property or the amount of rent charged.
LHA rates 2022-2023
LHA rates will only change once a year in April, rather than each month.
The following rates apply between April 2022 and April 2023.
Single room rate £70 weekly £304.17 monthly
1 bedroom rate £80 weekly £347.62 monthly
2 bedroom rate £92.05 weekly £399.98 monthly
3 bedroom rate £109.32 weekly £475.02 monthly
4 bedroom rate £138.08 weekly £599.99 monthly
The calculation
You are allowed one bedroom for -
- every adult couple (married or unmarried)
- a single person aged 16 or over
- 2 children of the same sex under the age of 16
- 2 children (of the same or opposite sexes) under the age of 10
- a child under the age of 16
Additional rooms may be allowed for -
- foster children
- joint tenants
- overnight carers and disabled people, conditions apply
When determining your LHA rate, we will have to decide -
- who is responsible for any non-dependants living in the household (non-dependant we mean anyone who lives in your household aged 16 or over who no one receives child benefit for)
- single people aged 35 and over and couples with no children. If you are single and aged 35 or over or a couple with no children, you receive the LHA 1 bedroom rate unless you are occupying shared accommodation in which case the LHA shared accommodation rate applies
- single people aged 34 and under. If you are single and 34 and under you receive the LHA shared accommodation rate which is based on the exclusive use of a bedroom with shared use of a kitchen, bathroom and/or living room. The exceptions to this are if you are a care leaver aged 21 or under or if you are severely disabled. In these cases, you are entitled to the LHA one bedroom rate
If you have a change of circumstances which affects the number of bedrooms your household is entitled to, your bedroom rate will be reviewed.
