Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support
LHA rates and rent restrictions
LHA rates and rent restrictions
If you pay rent to a private landlord your Housing Benefit will usually be based on the Local Housing Allowance, which is an amount relating to how many bedrooms your household requires and figures provided to the Council annually by the Rent officer service.
We do not count other rooms such as a living room, kitchen or bathroom.
The number of people who live with you is also used to work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to. You are allowed one bedroom for:
- Each adult couple
- Any other person aged 16 or over
- Any two children of the same sex aged under 16
- Any two children aged under 10, regardless of their sex
- Any other child
The number of bedrooms you are assessed as needing is then used to work out which LHA rate applies to you.
Example 1 – A couple would be assessed needing one bedroom.
Example 2 – A single claimant would be assessed needing one bedroom.
Example 3 – A couple with one child would be assessed as needing two bedrooms.
Example 4 – A single claimant with one child would be assessed as needing two bedrooms.
Example 5 – A couple with two sons aged 6 and 11 would be assessed as needing two bedrooms.
Example 6 – A single claimant with two sons aged 6 and 11 would be assessed as needing two bedrooms
Example 7 – A couple with a son aged 11 and a daughter aged 6 would be assessed as needing three bedrooms.
Example 8 – A single claimant with a son aged 11 and a daughter aged 6 would be assessed as needing three bedrooms
The LHA rates in 2025 are as follows:
| Weekly LHA Rates for | 2025 |
| Shared accommodation rate | £67.08 |
| One bedroom rate | £97.81 |
| Two bedroom rate | £109.32 |
| Three bedroom rate | £136.93 |
| Four bedroom rate | £182.96 |
The LHA rates for 2025 are the same as they were for 2024.
Further details about LHA can be found here or alternatively if you wish to find LHA rates in other areas please use this link