Local Housing Allowance - information for private tenants > Local Housing Allowance Rates > Local Housing Allowance - information for private tenants

Local Housing Allowance - information for private tenants

From April 2008 the Government has introduced Local Housing Allowance (LHA)

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is a new way of working out Housing Benefit for some tenants on a low income living in private rented accommodation.

It is based on:

The area you live in
Who lives with you
What money you have coming in
What savings you have

It is not based on how much rent you pay.

The change will only affect you if:

You rent your home from a private landlord and you make a new claim for Housing Benefit with a date of claim on or after 7 April 2008
OR
You rent your home from a private landlord where you are already claiming Housing Benefit and you have a break in your Housing Benefit entitlement for at least a week on or after 7 April 2008.
OR
You change your address so that you begin renting your home from a private landlord and you make a new claim for Housing Benefit with a date of claim on or after 7 April 2008
OR
An in work claim following an extended benefit payment (see internal link) on or after 7 April 2008

Why is the number of rooms I live in important?

LHA is based on the number of bedrooms you need, not on how much your rent is. The number of bedrooms you need will be based on the number of people you have living with you.

Why is the area I live in important?

An independent Rent Officer will decide what the LHA is for the Portsmouth area. It will be based on the rents that most people pay in Portsmouth.

Why is my income and savings important?

The amount of weekly LHA that you get will depend on the level of your income and savings. If you receive income support, jobseekers allowance (income based) or guarantee credit for pensioners your benefit will be based on the maximum LHA. We may make a deduction from your benefit for any other adults you have living with you.

You can view more information by visiting the DWP website, please see the external links list on this page.