How we work out your Housing Benefit

A guide to how we work out your Housing Benefit.

Rent

When calculating your Housing Benefit, we base it on your rent, less any service charges.

Many rents include services such as:

  • garages
  • heating, lighting, hot water, fuel for cooking
  • meals
  • use of a laundry
  • care and support

We cannot usually pay Housing Benefit to cover these charges.

Council tenants

If you are a council tenant we use the actual rent figure, less any other charges such as garages.

Private tenants and the Local Housing Allowance

The Valuation Office set Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. These rates are used to calculate Housing Benefit for tenants renting from private landlords.

Find out more about the Local Housing Allowance on GOV.UK. 

LHA will apply to you if you are a private tenant and you or your partner are:

  • entitled and remain entitled to the Severe Disability Premium
  • of pensionable age
  • an existing Housing Benefit customer who moves to a new address with less than a week’s break in their claim 

Check your local LHA rates on Directgov.

If you are in financial hardship

Find out more about benefits if you are in financial hardship. 

Direct payments to your landlord

If you would like us to pay your landlord, please complete our online form.

Start now

Find out more

Find out more about how Housing Benefit is calculated on GOV.UK