Local housing allowance
How we calculate the local housing allowance
The amount of weekly local housing allowance (LHA) that you get depends on your income and savings. If you receive income support or jobseekers allowance (income based), your benefit will be based on the maximum LHA.
We may make a deduction from your benefit for any other grown up people you have living with you.
Housing benefit awards for tenants of private sector landlords are based on local housing allowance (LHA). The LHA will be the maximum figure eligible for an award and is based on:
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the area you live in
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the number of bedrooms you and your family needs
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your income and savings
There are three steps to follow to work out your maximum local housing allowance (LHA):
1. What area do you live in?
Find your postcode in one of the boxes below and this will tell you what rental market area you live in.
Inner Lewisham
- SE3, SE4, SE6 (except those listed in Outer), SE8, SE10, SE13, SE14, SE15, SE16, SE23
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BR1 5RU, BR1 5SF, BR1 5SG, BR1 5SJ, BR1 5SQ, SE12 0RG, SE12 8AA to SE12 8TQ, SE26
Outer Lewisham
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SE9, BR3, BR1 (except for those listed in Inner)
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SE12 (except for those listed in Inner)
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SE6 2RS, SE6 2RX, SE6 3AB, SE6 3AE, SE6 3AF, SE6 3AG, SE6 3AH, SE6 3AJ, SE6 3AQ, SE6 3ND to SE6 3RW
If your postcode is SE6 1TP, SE6 2RP, SE12 0RL, SE26 5AQ, SE26 5BA, SE26 5BE, SE26 5HR, SE26 5HU, SE26 5LF or SE26 5JF, please contact us to find out the rental area you fall under.
2. How many rooms do you need?
The housing allowance you qualify for depends on the number of people living in your household. The following criteria are used to determine the appropriate number of bedrooms that your household needs:
- one bedroom for each lone parent or couple
- one bedroom for each other adult (over 16)
- one bedroom for any two children under 16 of the same sex
- one bedroom for any two children under 10 of the same or opposite sex
- an extra bedroom for any other child
- an extra bedroom for an overnight carer, if necessary
New claims
- the maximum rate payable for new claims is for the four-bedroom rate
Single claimants
- single claimants under the age of 35 are usually only entitled to the shared accommodation rate
3. Find the local housing allowance (LHA) for your area and the number of rooms you need
Check the current local housing allowance rates (LHA). This figure is not the amount of award you will receive, but is the maximum figure we will use to work out your award.
| Property size | Inner | Outer |
|
| |
| Shared | £149.59 | £138.08 |
| 1 bedroom | £298.15 | £241.64 |
| 2 bedrooms | £356.71 | £299.18 |
| 3 bedrooms | £448.77 | £356.71 |
| 4 bedrooms | £604.11 | £414.25 |
Contact us to find out the rental area you fall under if your postcode is:
- SE6 1TP
- SE6 2RP
- SE12 0RL
- SE26 5AQ
- SE26 5BA
- SE26 5BE
- SE26 5HR
- SE26 5HU
- SE26 5LF
- SE26 5JF
Exemptions from the scheme
Some claims will not be part of the local housing allowance (LHA) trial:
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registered social landlord tenancies (these currently only have to be referred to the rent officer in certain circumstances)
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protected cases, such as supported housing provided by certain local authorities, social landlords, charities and voluntary organisations
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tenancies which are excluded from current rent restrictions (such as pre-1989 tenancies)
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exceptional cases such as caravans, houseboats and hostels
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cases where the rent officer judges that a substantial part of the rent is attributable to board and attendance (for example, hotel accommodation)
Exempt cases will have their housing benefit calculated under the different housing benefit rules.