Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is a new way of working out new claims for Housing Benefit for tenants renting accommodation from a private landlord. It also affects tenants already getting Housing Benefit who move into accommodation rented from a private landlord. To work out how much benefit you might get you need to find out what Local Housing Allowance rate your benefit will be based on.

If you are part of a couple and do not live with any dependants (children) your benefit will be based on the one bedroom LHA rate if you live in:

• a self-contained property
• shared accommodation but have two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use

If you are part of a couple and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate if you live in shared accommodation.

By couple we mean a man and a woman who are married or are living together as if they are married, or two people of the same sex who are civil partners of each other and are members of the same household.

By a self-contained property we mean one where you have your own room plus your own:

• bathroom
• toilet, and
• kitchen (or facilities to cook with)

For example, this could be a one-bedroom flat. The following examples show how this works.

• Bill and Jane are a couple who have no children. They live in a house where they share facilities.
  They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves. As they share facilities, this means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate.

• Gary and Roger are a couple. They live in a self-contained flat.
  They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for one bedroom.

See our Rates webpage or use the Rate Calculator to work out your Local Housing Allowance rates.