Local housing allowance: frequently asked questions

How much Local Housing Allowance you will get depends on:
  • Who lives with you
  • Which area you want to live in
  • How much money you have coming in
  • What savings you have
To work out how much you will get:
  • Work out how many rooms you are allowed: this is explained below:
  • Check the Local Housing Allowance rate for the area you want to live in which you can get from your council.

Find out if you can get the full rate of Local Housing Allowance. Any money you have coming in or savings you may have may affect this. Ask your council for more details.

How to work out how many rooms you are allowed

The number of people who live with you will be used to work out how many bedrooms you are allowed. We do not count other rooms such as a living room, kitchen or bathroom.

The number of rooms you are allowed is used to work out how much Local Housing Allowance you may be able to get.

You can use the following information as a guide to work out how many rooms you are allowed.

Bedrooms

You are allowed one bedroom for:

  • Every adult couple (married or unmarried)
  • Any other adult aged 16 or over
  • Any two children under age 10
  • Any two children of the same sex aged under 16
  • Any other child.

What else might affect your Local Housing Allowance?

You may get the standard rate of Local Housing Allowance if you share some or all of your facilities in the property. Shared facilities could be a living room, kitchen or bathroom. If you share some or all of the facilities you may get the shared Local Housing Allowance rate.

This is for tenants who have a bedroom of their own but share all or some of the facilities.

Couples with no dependant children

If you are part of a couple who have no children living with you, you can get the rate for a two roomed property if you rent a self-contained property.

By a self-contained property we mean one where you have at least one room nobody else uses and a bathroom, toilet and cooking facilities that nobody else uses. For example, this could be a one bedroom flat.

By couple we mean every adult couple (by this we mean married or civil partners or living together as if married or civil partners).

If you are part of a couple who have no children living with you and you choose to live in a property where all or some of the facilities are shared, you can only get the shared Local Housing Allowance rate. Shared facilities could be a living room, kitchen or bathroom.

If you are aged 25 or over and live alone

If you are 25 or over and live alone, you can get the rate for a two roomed property if you rent a self-contained property with at least two rooms. For example, this could be a one bedroom flat.

If you choose to live in a property where all or some of the facilities are shared, you can only get the shared Local Housing Allowance rate. Shared facilities could be a living room, kitchen or bathroom.

Claimants aged under 25 years who live alone

If you are aged under 25 and live alone you can only get the shared Local Housing Allowance rate.

Dependants and non-dependants

If you claim Local Housing Allowance you can only get it for yourself and your dependants. If you share a property we will make a deduction for facilities you share with any non-dependents. The rules for this are the same as the rules for Housing Benefit.

Joint tenants

If you claim Local Housing Allowance you can only get it for yourself and your dependants. The rules are the same as the rules for Housing Benefit. By joint tenant we mean someone who has an agreement with the landlord to share the rent with other tenants.

Ask us if you want more information about this.

Contact details:

Telephone:
01722 434483

Fax:
01722 434429

email:
revs&bens@salisbury.gov.uk...

Postal address:
Revenues and Benefits
Pennyfarthing House
18 Pennyfarthing Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 1HJ