How much is Housing Benefit in Bournemouth?

Weekly LHA rates April 2021 – March 2022

How much is Housing Benefit in Dorset?

There’s no set amount of Housing Benefit and what you get will depend on whether you rent privately or from a Housing Association.

What is local shared accommodation rate?

If you do not live with a partner, the most you can usually get is the rent for a single room in a shared house in your area, even if you do not live in shared housing. This is called the Local Housing Allowance shared accommodation rate ( SAR ).

How is Local Housing Allowance set?

The Local Housing Allowance itself is determined by a survey of rents within a given Broad Rent Market Area where the median, or 50th percentile, of rents is determined and it is this figure that is used to set the LHA, though since 2011 the Local Housing Allowance is based on the 30th percent of rents in an area.

Is LHA going in 2021?

The government restored the link between LHA rates and the 30th percentile of local rents in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, however the benefit was then re-frozen for 2021/22.

Will LHA rates increase 2021?

For 2021-2022 the levels have been maintained in cash terms but they are to remain frozen in cash terms in the future, so even if rents increase, the LHA will not be increased in line with that.

Is local housing allowance the same as housing benefit?

Local Housing Allowance is used to calculate the maximum amount people renting from a private landlord can claim in Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. If the rent you pay is less than your Local Housing Allowance then this can affect the calculation. For more information see rent lower than Local Housing Allowance.

What is the difference between local housing allowance and housing benefit?

Who sets the local housing allowance rate?

The Valuation Office Agency Rent Officers determines Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates used to calculate housing benefit for tenants renting from private landlords. LHA rates are based on private market rents being paid by tenants in the broad rental market area (BRMA).

Has local housing allowance increased?

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were increased due to the pandemic. For 2021-2022 the levels have been maintained in cash terms but they are to remain frozen in cash terms in the future, so even if rents increase, the LHA will not be increased in line with that.

Is local housing allowance separate to universal credit?

If you pay rent to a local authority, council or housing association you will get your full rent as part of your Universal Credit payment. This will be reduced by 14% if you have one spare bedroom, or 25% if you have 2 or more spare bedrooms.

What is local housing allowance and how does it work?

If you are renting a property or room from a private landlord, the Local Housing Allowance is used to work out how much Housing Benefit you can get. The amount of Housing Benefit you get will depend on where you live and who lives with you. The rates range from a single room in a shared house up to properties with four bedrooms.

Are there different rates for New Forest Housing Allowance?

There are different rates for each of the three market areas that cover New Forest. Local Housing Allowance does not affect any of the following: Registered social landlord tenancies. Protected cases, such as supported housing provided by certain local authorities, social landlords, charities and voluntary organisations.

How much housing benefit can I get if I pay rent?

If the rent you are charged is more than the Local Housing Allowance, the maximum amount of Housing Benefit you can get is your Local Housing Allowance rate. Extra help with rent is available through Discretionary Housing Payments.

Where can I find the LHA rates?

These are the list of rents, downloadable in the documents link above. In accordance with DWP legislation, mathematical calculations are applied to the list of rents to determine the LHA rate which is the lower of: You can find the LHA rates on LHA-Direct by searching by postcode or local authority area.

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