If you rent your property from a private landlord, the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates will be used to calculate the maximum amount of Housing Benefit that you may be entitled to.
LHA is a flat-rate rent allowance determined by the Valuation Office Agency. The rates are based primarily on the location and the number of people living in the property.
England is broken up into a number of Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMA's). Bath & North East Somerset Council has two - Bath and Bristol. The Rent Officer sets the LHA rates based on the median of rents for the area. The rates for 2012-13 are published below and are also on display at Council Connect in Bath, Keynsham and Midsomer Norton.
Working out what you might be entitled to...
Step 1
First you will need to know how many bedrooms will be used to work out your LHA rate and which BRMA rate will apply to you. Visit the DirectGov website to use the 'Bedroom Calculator'.
Step 2
Make a note of the rate which applies to you. You can now enter this into the DirectGov benefits adviser service, along with all the other information requested. This will give you an approximate guide to how much Housing Benefit you could qualify for.
Weekly LHA rates
LHA room categories relate to the number of bedrooms your household needs. The amount of rent you pay or the size of the property you rent does not affect how much LHA you get.
Please note:
- The maximum number of bedrooms that can be taken into account is 4.
- If you are single and under 35, the shared accommodation rate will apply to you.
LHA rates for new claims - from April 2012
|
LHA category |
Bath |
Bristol |
|
Shared accommodation |
£ 70.00 |
£ 64.62 |
|
1 bedroom |
£126.92 |
£115.15 |
|
2 bedrooms |
£155.77 |
£144.23 |
|
3 bedrooms |
£184.62 |
£167.31 |
|
4 bedrooms |
£290.77 |
£219.23 |
For more information about LHA rates and how your benefit will be calculated, speak to a Benefits Officer at Council Connect in Bath, Keynsham or Midsomer Norton. Alternatively, call 01225 47 77 77 during office hours and choose option 2 for Benefits.