Guide Benefit FAQs

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1. Am I entitled to Housing Benefit (working or pensionable age) &/or Council Tax Reduction (pensionable age only)?

Please check your entitlement online.

New Housing Benefit claims are worked out using Local Housing Allowance figures. The Local Housing Allowance is set by the Rent Service and is determined by assessing the people who need a room in a property. These are:

  •        an adult couple 
  •        2 children under 16 of the same sex 
  •        2 children under 10 (regardless of sex) 
  •        a single adult (16 or over) 
  •        any other child

Single people under the age of 35 are paid what is known as a shared accommodation rate.

The LHA bedroom calculator gives an indication of how many bedrooms are needed.

The number of rooms needed by the occupants is used to determine the appropriate Local Housing Allowance Rate.

The Local Housing Allowance figure quoted will be the maximum Housing Benefit that can be paid for the property and household circumstances. Actual benefit will be determined by assessing a tenant’s income, savings and benefits and may be a lower figure.