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Local Housing Allowance - Calculating your allowance

Calculate your allowance

To work out how much benefit you might get you need to:

The amount of benefit you can get may be affected by:

  • any money you have coming in
  • any savings you have
  • how much your rent is
  • if we expect anyone living with you to pay towards your rent
  • if you share paying the rent with someone else who is not your partner

For more information about this, please get in touch with us at the contact details below.

How many bedrooms am I entitled to?

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

The number of bedrooms you are entitled to is then used to work out which Local Housing Allowance rate usually applies to you. In some cases, there are some more rules – these are looked at below.

Please note, the maximum amount of bedrooms we can allow for is 4, even if you require more than this you will be restricted to a 4 bedroom requirement.

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

You are entitled to one bedroom for:

  • every adult couple (married or unmarried)
  • any other adult aged 16 or over
  • any two children of the same sex aged under 16
  • any two children aged under 10
  • any other child
  • A non-resident overnight carer

From the 1st April 2013 you will also be entitled to one extra room for the following:

  • Foster carers will be allowed one additional room, so long as they have fostered a child or become an approved foster carer within the last 52 weeks.
  • Parents with adult children in the armed forces (or reservists) who normally live with them will be able to retain the bedroom for that adult child when they are deployed on operations.
  • An extra room can be allowed where the Benefits Service is satisfied that a child is unable to share a bedroom because of a disability or medical condition.

Janet and John

Janet and John are a couple who have a child, Ben, who is nine years old.

They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves and one for Ben. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for two bedrooms.

Susan

Susan is a single mother who has three children, Tom, who is fourteen, Judy, who is eleven and Raymond, who is six.

Susan is entitled to one bedroom for herself, one bedroom for Judy and one bedroom for Tom and Raymond to share. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for three bedrooms.

Lisa and Matt

Lisa and Matt are a couple who have five children, Shaun, who is seventeen, Graham, who is fifteen, Laura, who is twelve, Millie, who is nine and Jessica, who is six.

They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves, one bedroom for Shaun, one bedroom for Laura and Millie to share, one bedroom for Graham and one bedroom for Jessica. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for five bedrooms. However, since April 2011 Local Housing Allowance is limited to the rate for four bedrooms.

What else might affect the Local Housing Allowance rate?

There are extra rules if you are:

  • aged 35 or over, single and do not live with any dependants
  • aged under 35, single and do not live with any dependants
  • a couple and do not live with any dependants
  • you are a care leaver aged under 22
  • you are severely disabled

These extra rules are explained later.

If you are a joint tenant this may affect the benefit you can get. For more information about joint tenants, please get in touch with us at the address below.

Non-dependants

If you claim benefit you can only get it for yourself and your family. If you share a property with someone who is not part of your family, your benefit may be reduced. This is because we may expect them to pay towards your rent.

For more information about this, please get in touch with us at the address below.

Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are aged under 35

To work out how much benefit you might get you need to find out what Local Housing Allowance rate your benefit will be based on.

If you are aged under 35, are single and do not live with any dependants, you can only get the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate.

Marcus

Marcus is single. He is aged 23.

He is entitled to one bedroom for himself. As he is under 35, he is entitled to the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate.

Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are aged 35 or over

If you are 35 or over, single and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate if you live in:

  • a self-contained property
  • shared accommodation but have two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use

If you are 35 or over, single and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate if you live in shared accommodation unless you two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use.

By a self-contained property we mean one where you have your own room plus your own:

  • bathroom
  • toilet, and
  • kitchen (or facilities to cook with)

For example, this could be a one-bedroom flat.

Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are a couple

If you are part of a couple and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate if you live in:

  • a self-contained property
  • shared accommodation but have two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use

If you are part of a couple and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate if you live in shared accommodation.

By couple we mean a man and a woman who are married or are living together as if they are married, or two people of the same sex who are civil partners of each other and are members of the same household.

By a self-contained property we mean one where you have your own room plus your own:

  • bathroom
  • toilet
  • kitchen (or facilities to cook with)

For example, this could be a one-bedroom flat.

Bill and Jane

Bill and Jane are a couple who have no children. They live in a house where they share facilities.

They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves. As they share facilities, this means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate.

Gary and Roger

Gary and Roger are a couple. They live in a self-contained flat.

They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for one bedroom.

Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are a care leaver under 22

If you are a care leaver under 22, or live with a care leaver under 22 who is your partner, and have no dependent children your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate.

By care leaver we mean someone who was in council care after the age of 15. For more information about what we mean by care leavers, please get in touch with us at the address below.

Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are severely disabled

If you are severely disabled, or live with a severely disabled partner, and have no dependent children, your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate.

For more information, please get in touch with us at the address below.

Contact Us

If you want to know more about the changes and how they affect you please contact us:

 Housing Benefits Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC Bronwydd House Porth CF39 9DL
Tel: 01443 425002

Email: HousingBenefitEnquiries@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk