Local Housing Allowance and Housing Benefit: how help with rent works

By Sam Kane · Last checked 9 October 2026

If you rent privately and need help with your rent, the amount you can get is usually set by the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). LHA is a limit based on where you live and how many bedrooms your household needs. Most working-age people now get this help through Universal Credit. Housing Benefit is mainly for people over State Pension age, or people in supported or temporary housing.

The rules in this guide cover England, Scotland and Wales unless we say otherwise. Northern Ireland has its own system, explained near the end.

The short version

What is Local Housing Allowance?

Local Housing Allowance is the most help with rent you can get if you rent from a private landlord. It is not a separate benefit. It is the limit used to work out the housing part of Universal Credit and Housing Benefit.

Each LHA rate depends on two things:

  1. Where you live. The country is split into areas called Broad Rental Market Areas. Each has its own rates.
  2. How many bedrooms your household needs. There are rates for a room in a shared home, and for homes with 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms.

Your help is based on your actual rent or the LHA rate for your area and household, whichever is lower. If your rent is higher than the LHA rate, you pay the difference yourself.

How to find your LHA rate

LHA rates for 2026 to 2027 are frozen

The LHA rates that apply from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 are the same rates that came into force on 1 April 2024. They have not gone up, even though rents have. In April 2024 the rates were set to match the lowest 30% of rents in each area. Rents have risen since then, so in many areas fewer homes now cost less than the LHA rate.

How many bedrooms will LHA pay for?

For private renters, LHA pays for the number of bedrooms your household needs, up to 4. The rules expect these people to share a bedroom:

These people can have their own bedroom:

What is the shared accommodation rate?

If you are single, under 35 and have no children, you can usually only get the shared accommodation rate. This is the rate for a room in a shared home. It applies even if you live alone in a flat, so the gap between your rent and your help can be large.

You can get the higher 1-bedroom rate instead if, for example, you:

Check the full list on GOV.UK, as there are other exceptions.

Universal Credit help with rent

If you are of working age, you claim help with rent through Universal Credit. You do not claim it separately. When you apply, you tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about your rent, and they add an amount for housing costs.

The amount for housing is usually paid to you as part of your monthly Universal Credit. You then pay your landlord. If you are struggling to manage this, or you fall behind with your rent, the housing money can be paid straight to your landlord. This is called an alternative payment arrangement.

Who can still get Housing Benefit?

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if either:

Most other people must claim Universal Credit instead. You usually cannot get Housing Benefit if you have savings over £16,000, unless you get the guarantee part of Pension Credit. Full-time students usually cannot claim Housing Benefit.

If you rent from a council or housing association

LHA rates do not apply to social housing. Instead, your help is based on your actual rent. But if you are of working age and have a spare bedroom, your help is cut:

Spare bedrooms Cut to your eligible rent
1 14%
2 or more 25%

People call this the “bedroom tax”. Its official name is the removal of the spare room subsidy.

What if your help does not cover your rent?

  1. Ask your council for extra help. In England, councils can give housing payments to people on Universal Credit or Housing Benefit whose help does not cover their rent. These used to be called discretionary housing payments and are now part of the council’s crisis and resilience fund. Scotland and Wales still have discretionary housing payments. Each council sets its own rules.
  2. Check you are getting the right rate. Make sure DWP or your council has the right number of bedrooms and the right people in your household. The benefit cap, a limit on total benefits for most people of working age, can also cut your housing help, so check the amounts on GOV.UK.
  3. Look at your whole budget. Our guide to how much rent you can afford shows how to work out what you can pay.
  4. Think about a lodger. If you have a spare room, a lodger who is not family does not reduce your Universal Credit. Read our guide to the Rent a Room Scheme.
  5. Talk to your landlord early if you are falling behind. Read our guide to rent arrears.

Can a landlord refuse me because I get benefits?

In England, no. Since 1 May 2026, under the Renters’ Rights Act, a landlord or letting agent cannot refuse to rent to you, or treat you worse, because you get benefits. Adverts that say “No DSS” are against the law. A landlord can still check you can afford the rent, but must use the same check for everyone. Read our guide to the Renters’ Rights Act.

Once you have a home, the rent you pay from your own bank account can count on your credit file too. See how rent reporting works, or read rent and your credit file.

How does LHA work in Northern Ireland?

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive deals with Housing Benefit for renters and sets the LHA rates, using the same categories as the rest of the UK. Check the Housing Executive website for your rate, and nidirect for how to claim Universal Credit, which the Department for Communities runs.

Common questions

What is the difference between Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance?

Housing Benefit is a benefit. Local Housing Allowance is the limit used to work out how much help private renters get, through either Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

Are LHA rates going up in 2026?

No. The rates from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 are the same as the rates set in April 2024, in England, Scotland and Wales.

Why do I only get the shared room rate when I live alone?

Because you are single, under 35 and have no children. The rules base your help on the cost of a room in a shared home, unless one of the exceptions applies to you.

Can my Universal Credit rent money go straight to my landlord?

Yes, in some cases. Ask DWP for an alternative payment arrangement if you are struggling to manage your payments or you are behind with rent.

Does a lodger affect my benefits?

A lodger who is not family does not reduce your Universal Credit. For Housing Benefit, the first £20 a week a lodger pays you does not count, but anything above that does.

Sources

You already do the hard part.

You pay your rent every month. From now on, your credit file can show it.

a month