Working Out Local Housing Allowance (LHA)
To work out how much Local Housing Allowance (LHA) you might receive:
- Work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to and which LHA rate applies to you - this is shown below
- Check the LHA for the area you want to live in.
LHA Rates
LHA rates from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
Weekly rate
The table below shows the weekly LHA rates. Find out which area you are in from the area maps below:
| Number of bedrooms | Category |
Leicester and |
Grantham and |
Nottingham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared room rate | A | £91.00 | £86.61 | £87.45 |
| 1 bedroom | B | £124.57 | £97.81 | £126.58 |
| 2 bedrooms | C | £149.59 | £132.33 | £149.59 |
| 3 bedrooms | D | £178.36 | £150.74 | £172.60 |
| 4 bedrooms | E | £241.64 | £201.37 | £223.23 |
Monthly rate
The table below shows the monthly LHA rates. Find out which area you are in:
| Number of bedrooms | Category |
Leicester and |
Grantham and |
Nottingham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared room rate | A | £394.33 | £375.31 | £378.95 |
| 1 bedroom | B | £539.80 | £423.84 | £548.51 |
| 2 bedrooms | C | £648.22 | £573.43 | £648.22 |
| 3 bedrooms | D | £772.89 | £653.21 | £747.93 |
| 4 bedrooms | E | £1,047.11 | £872.60 | £967.33 |
How many bedrooms am I entitled to?
The number of people who live with you is used to work out how many bedrooms you're entitled to.
You are entitled to 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 aged under 10
- any other child.
What else might affect the Local Housing Allowance rate?
There are extra rules if you are:
Aged 35 or over, single and do not live with any dependants
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 live in shared accommodation, your benefit will be based on the shared room rate unless you use two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can uses.
Aged under 35, single and do not live with any dependants
Your benefit is based on the LHA shared room rate (additional rules apply to care leavers aged under 25 and the severely disabled).
A couple and do not live with any dependants
Your benefit is based on the one bedroom LHA rate if you live:
- in a self-contained property or
- shared accommodation but have two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use.
If you live in shared accommodation you are entitled to the shared room rate. 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 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).
A care leaver aged under 25
If you are a care leaver under 25, or live with a care leaver under 25 who is your partner, and have no dependent children your benefit will be based on the one bedroom LHA rate. Care leavers are people who were in council care after the age of 15.
Severely disabled
If you are severely disabled, or live with a severely disabled partner, and have no dependent children, your benefit will be based on the one bedroom LHA rate.
If you are a joint tenant this can affect the benefit you can get. For more information about joint tenants, please contact us.
Non-dependants
If you claim benefit you can only get it for yourself and your family. If you share a property with someone who is not part of your family, your benefit may be reduced. This is because we may expect them to pay towards your rent.
What if my rent is not the same as the LHA rate that applies to me?
If your rent is less than the LHA rate that applies to you, any benefit you might get will still be based on your rent. For example, if your rent is £90 and the LHA is £100, the maximum amount of benefit we could pay you would be £90.
To see who can claim housing benefit (including LHA) go to ‘Who can claim’.
Do it online
- Online benefits calculator
- Find out how many bedrooms you're entitled to
- Pay a benefit overpayment
- View your current housing benefit details
- Apply for housing benefit online
Documents to download
- Nottingham area
- Leicester and surrounds
- Grantham and Newark
- Direct payments policy
- Direct payment to landlord form
Useful links
- Citizens Advice Bureau website
- Advice UK website
- Appeal a benefit decision
- StepChange Debt Charity
- National Debtline
- Payplan website
- Advice centres
- Which? Later life care
- Turn2us - advice and support