Local housing allowance (LHA) if you're under 35

Local housing allowance (LHA) is not a separate benefit.

LHA rates affects how much help with rent you can get when renting from a private landlord.

It is used to work out both:

• universal credit

• housing benefit

Local housing allowance (LHA) rates

If you're under 35 you might get:

• the shared accommodation rate

• a 1 bedroom self contained rate

• a higher rate based on the number of bedrooms you need

You can work out how much you could get if you already know your LHA rate.

Check the rules on this page if you're not sure what your LHA rate should be.

Shared accommodation rate

The shared rate is meant to cover the cost of renting a room in a shared house. But it is often not enough.

You will probably have to look for a bedsit or room in a shared house to find somewhere you can afford.

If you're pregnant

You can usually only get the shared accommodation rate until your baby is born unless you already have children.

Some councils give discretionary housing payments to top up your LHA before your baby is born. This could help if you cannot live in shared housing while you're pregnant.

If your children stay with you

You can usually only get the shared accommodation rate unless your children are part of your benefit claim.

You can get a higher LHA rate if children live with you and are included in your benefit claim.

1 bedroom self contained LHA rate

This is higher than the shared accommodation LHA rate.

You could get the 1 bedroom self contained LHA rate if you:

• live with your partner

• are a care leaver under 25

• have experienced domestic abuse

• lived in a hostel or refuge for at least 3 months

• get disability benefits but do not need overnight care

• are a former prisoner aged 25 to 34 covered by MAPPA

• are a survivor of modern slavery

If you and your partner get universal credit

You get the 1 bedroom self contained rate if you claim as a couple, even if you live in a shared house.

If you and your partner get housing benefit

You get the:

• shared accommodation rate if you live in a shared house

• 1 bedroom self contained rate if you do not share with other people

If you're a care leaver under 25

You can get the 1 bedroom self contained rate until you're 25 if you were in care when you were 16 or 17.

You count as a care leaver if you had a pathway plan from social services when you left care.

Social services can confirm your care history.

If you have experienced domestic abuse

You can get the 1 bedroom self contained rate if you have experienced domestic abuse from a partner, former partner or relative at any time since you were 16.

You need a supporting letter from a professional or your employer that confirms the abuse.

Professionals who can write you a letter include doctors, nurses, health workers, social workers, charity workers and the police.

If you've lived in a hostel or refuge for at least 3 months

You can get the 1 bedroom self contained rate if you've lived in a hostel or refuge for at least 3 months since you were 16.

The 3 months do not have to be recent or all in a row. For example, you could have stayed in different hostels or refuges that add up to at least 3 months in total.

The hostels or refuges must have provided:

• meals or shared kitchen facilities

• support or resettlement services

If you were given a room in a hotel or B&B because you were homeless during the pandemic, this counts if you had the same type of support as you would get in a hostel.

Keep your agreement if you move out of a hostel or refuge so you can prove it in the future.

You may need to ask the hostel or refuge to confirm your stay if you do not have proof.

If you get disability benefits but do not need overnight care

With universal credit, you can get the 1 bedroom self contained rate if you also get:

• PIP – daily living component

• DLA – middle or high rate care

• armed forces independence payment

With housing benefit, you can get the 1 bedroom self contained rate unless someone else gets benefits because they are your full time carer. Then you get the shared accommodation rate.

If you're a former prisoner covered by MAPPA

You get the 1 bedroom self contained rate if you:

• are aged 25 to 34

• have to live in certain types of housing under multi agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) - Level 2 or 3

If you're a survivor of modern slavery

You can get the 1 bedroom self contained rate if the Home Office has given you a positive 'conclusive grounds' decision.

Higher LHA rates

You can get a higher LHA rate if you:

• need overnight care

• live with children or other household members

Your LHA rate depends on the number of bedrooms you can claim for.

You need overnight care

You can get a higher rate if a carer stays regularly to provide overnight care and you get:

• PIP – daily living component

• DLA – middle or high rate care

Your carer could be a friend or family member, or part of a team of paid carers who stay overnight. There must be a bedroom for your carer when they stay.

You live with children or other household members

You get a higher LHA rate if you live with:

• children under 18 including foster children

• adult children or other household members

If you're a foster carer without a placement, you can still get a higher rate if a foster child has stayed in the last year.