Local Housing Allowance

Last Updated: 17 October 2023

Local Housing Allowance rates are decided by the Rent Service and are valid for 12 months from April to March.

Current Local Housing Allowance rates

Local Housing Allowance will not apply to you if:

• your landlord is a housing association
• you live in supported accommodation provided by a social landlord, charity or voluntary organisation
• your rent has been registered as a fair rent
• your tenancy started before 1989

Under the Local Housing Allowance system, you will receive a standard allowance based on the size of your household. The allowances change every April and you will know in advance so that you can find out how much rent your Housing Benefit would pay before you rent a property.

To calculate how many bedrooms you need, allow one bedroom for:

• every adult couple (married or unmarried)
• any other adult aged 16 or over
• any two children of the same sex aged under 16
• any two children under the age of 10
• any other child (other than a foster child or child whose main home is elsewhere)

There are special rules for foster carers, disabled children unable to share a room, people requiring overnight care and adult children in the armed forces who normally live with you.

If you live in a room in a shared house or are a joint tenant with someone who is not your partner, you will normally only receive the shared accommodation rate.

The amount of Housing Benefit payable to single people under 35 years of age is restricted to the standard rate for a bedroom in shared accommodation.*

* This may differ if you are a care leaver and/or a former resident of a homeless hostel. You will need to notify us if this applies to you.

Standard allowances from 1 April 2023