Local housing allowance
Rent allowance scheme for private tenant housing benefit
Application form for housing benefit/council tax benefit/ local housing allowance
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Housing benefit - is calculated by looking at how much you can afford to pay towards your rent. The amount of housing benefit you will receive is your rent minus the amount that you can afford to pay (if anything), this calculation is based on your income. Under housing benefit your award is never more than the full rent charged by your landlord.
We usually pay your landlord or agent the housing benefit if:
- you request it or
- we think it is in your best interest or
- you have eight weeks or more rent arrears.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) - will be calculated by looking at how much you can pay towards your rent. Instead of taking this amount away from your rent, it will be taken away from a standard LHA figure provided by the rent service. We do not have to refer your rent to the rent officer. LHA will be paid to you into your bank account, not your landlord's or their agent, unless we decide you are vulnerable.
- Please read our vulnerability procedure here (pdf)
- If will assist you in securing or retaining a tenancy
Please note if you do not have a bank account you will need to open an account with one of the high street banks or credit union.
The rent service will give us the LHA figures, which are standard amounts set according to:
- the number of people living in your home
- the number of bedrooms in your home
- the rents charged for similar properties in your area.
There are three different areas in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF). They are called broad rental market areas (BRMA). These areas are: Inner North, Inner West and Central London. How the BRMAs affect LBHF(pdf).
You can visit the rent services web site (opens in new window) to calculate how many rooms you would be entitled to or find out the LHA rates for your postcodes
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about Local Housing Allowance (LHA):
Which landlords will be affected by LHA?
Who will not be affected by LHA?
What if my LHA award is higher than my rent?
What if the LHA doesn't cover my full rent
Will I get housing benefit or LHA from April 2008?
What changes from 1st April 2011?
When will my claim next be assessed?
Where to go for more information
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Which landlords will be affected by LHA?
LHA affects any landlord who enters into a deregulated private tenancy agreement with a person awarded housing benefit. A deregulated tenancy is one that commenced after January 1989.
Who will not be affected by LHA?
The new rules will not apply to:
- local authority tenants
- tenants of registered social landlords (housing associations)
- tenants who have a registered or 'fair' rent
- tenancies which commenced before January 1989
- protected cases such as supported housing provided by social landlords, charities or voluntary organizations, who also provide care, support or supervision
- tenancies in caravans, houseboats or hostels
You will get a LHA award based on a standard LHA amount for the number of rooms you are allowed. These amounts are set by the rent service.
Other factors affect how much LHA you are awarded. This depends on:
- who lives with you and their circumstances
- what money you have coming in
- what savings you have
What if my LHA award is higher than my rent?
You will receive the LHA value up to your rent level less any ineligible services.
What if the LHA doesn't cover my full rent
You will have to make up the shortfall between your LHA award and your full rent. If you are experiencing difficulties in paying the difference, you can make a claim for discretionary housing payment. It is awarded in exceptional circumstances and having a shortfall in your rent does not mean you will be automatically entitled. Discretionary housing payments are paid from a fixed annual fund and not awarded to everyone who claims it. Contact us for more information.
Will I get housing benefit or LHA from April 2008?
It depends on the circumstances of your claim at April 2008. If you have an ongoing housing benefit claim that started before April 2008, you will still get housing benefit. We will still refer your rent to the rent service at the start of your claim and then every 52 weeks.
However, if you:
- make a new claim;
- make a change of address claim; or
- have a break in your housing benefit claim, you will be paid LHA
What changes from 1st April 2011
From April 2011 the government is making changes to housing benefit, for tenants renting from a landlord in the private sector.
The maximum £15 weekly housing benefit excess that some people got before this date will end. This means that you will not be able to get more money from housing benefit than the amount you pay in rent.
The government will reduce LHA rates to a lower amount, so that 3 in 10 properties for rent in your area should be affordable to people on housing benefit. At the moment about 5 in 10 properties in your area are affordable to people on housing benefit.
Further more there will be maximum rate caps, so that LHA weekly rates in any area cannot be more than:
- £250 for a one bedroom property
- £290 for a two bedroom property
- £340 for a three bedroom property
- £400 for a four bedroom property
There will no longer be a five bedroom LHA rate. The maximum level is for a four bedroom property.
Yes, if you are renting a property from a private landlord and receiving housing benefit and you made your claim for your current address on or after 7th April 2008.
It is possible that the amount of housing benefit you get to pay your rent could go down. If your housing benefit is paid directly to your landlord, the amount your landlord gets could go down. If you are getting or thinking of getting housing benefit, you will need to consider these changes before you renew or make a new tenancy agreement with a private landlord
- If you are making a new claim for housing benefit or moving home, the changes will affect you from 1st April 2011
- If you are already claiming housing benefit, you will normally have more time before your rate changes. if your circumstances don't change, you will have nine months based on your current rate after we next assess your housing benefit on or after 1st April 2011
- For instance if your next assessment is due in June 2011 the changes will not affect you until March 2012, but you cannot get more money in housing benefit than you pay in rent after we assess your claim.
- The changes may affect you sooner if:
- you are getting housing benefit and move home
- your household changes, such as someone leaves or comes to live with you.
When will my claim next be assessed?
You can work this out from the date you made your original claim for housing benefit, or from the date we last assessed your housing benefit amount.
For example: If you first made your claim for housing benefit on 5th September 2010 your yearly review date will be 5th September 2011.
Where to go for more information:
- Directgov provides information on public service in one place including up to date information on housing benefit changes
- Valuation office agency holds information on local housing allowance, fair rents, council tax etc
- Citizens advice service provides a wide range of advice
- Shelter offer confidential housing, welfare benefits and debt advice through a network of advice services
- free phone housing advice help line on 0808 800 4444 Mon-Fri (8am-8pm), Sat&Sun(8am-5pm)
- online (www.shelter.org.uk/england.shelter.org.uk/getadvice)
- If you have a query about LHA that is not answered by the FAQ's above please contact us.
Page last updated: 13/04/2012
