Local Housing Allowance

Local Housing Allowance rates for;

1st April 2013 to 31st March 2014.

Please note that Local Housing Allowance is uprated annually. This means the rates below will remain for each of the year's listed.

2013/14 (1st April 2013 - 31st March 2014)

Number of bedrooms	Category	Weekly Amount
Shared room rate	A	£ 69.23
1 bedroom	B	£114.23
2 bedrooms	C	£149.76
3 bedrooms	D	£184.62
4 bedrooms	E	£229.62
5 bedrooms	F	£229.62

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) decides rent payments for people receiving Housing Benefit (HB). Housing Benefit for most new claims, including claims resulting from changes of address and breaks in claims due to entitlement to Income Support, Job Seekers (IB) and Guarantee Credit ceasing, will be assessed under the new Local Housing Allowance Scheme. It uses a flat rate allowance based on the size of the tenants household and the area in which they rent the property to decide the amount of benefit they receive.

Local Housing Allowance does not apply if;

you rent your property from the council
your landlord is a housing association
your rent has been registered as a 'fair rent'
your tenancy started before 1989
you live somewhere where you are provided with care, support or supervision
you live in a caravan, mobile home or houseboat
Local Housing Allowance may not apply if your rent includes an amount for meals

The amount of Housing Benefit you will get will depend on;

the numbers of bedrooms you need
the area you live in
any income you have and any savings held
whether you have someone who is not a dependant living with you

Local Housing Allowance on-line 'Bedroom Entitlement Calculator' and list of 'LHA Rates' on the Rent Service's website - LHA-DIRECT

We will pay Housing Benefit under the LHA scheme to tenants direct unless there are exceptional circumstances and fall within the Authorities 'Vulnerability Policy' or 'Safeguard Policy'.

Application Forms

LHA Vulnerability Policy and Application Form

PDF Document Vulnerability Policy (71 kb)

PDF Document Vulnerability Policy Application Form(157 kb)

LHA Safeguard Policy including and Application Forms

PDF Document Safeguard Policy (68 kb)

PDF Document Safeguard Application Form (262 kb)

Transitional Protection

Some claimants entitled to Housing Benefit (LHA) may be entitled to transitional protection for up to a maximum of 9 months. However if at any time after 1 April 2011 there is a change that reduces the number of rooms the claimant is entitled to, there will be no protection and the new rate will become payable immediately.
For more information or to establish if you are entitled to Transitional Protection please contact us on:
01268 882200

Direct Payments by BAC's

If you do not have a bank or building society account you must set one up. That way you can pay the rent to your landlord by standing order or direct debit. You can get advice about opening and running a bank or building society account from any bank or building society of your choice.

Please note that we are unable to pay direct payments to a Post Office account.

For further information about opening bank accounts and basic bank accounts please click on the link below

Bank Accounts

If you would like a Housing Benefit direct payment by BAC's form, please contact us on 01268 882200 or email us on the following link: benefits or print the BAC's form here PDF Document Bac'sForm (46 kb)

Contact

If you would like more information on Local Housing Allowance please contact us at the address or on the telephone number below.

Address: Castle Point Borough Council, Council Office, Kiln Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1TF

Telephone: 01268 882200

Downloadable Documents.