If you are renting privately and think you may be entitled to help with the cost of your rent, you can apply for Local Housing Allowance (LHA).
The amount of LHA you can claim depends on factors like your household income, personal financial situation and the number of people who live with you.
To find out if you are eligible, complete an application on-line by clicking on the link. The application is in two parts. The first is a calculator which can give you an idea of what you may be entitled to and the second part allows you to make a claim.
If you are elderly, or have mobility problems, an officer can arrange to visit you at home. Please call 0151 443 4042 if you want to arrange this.
If you get Local Housing Allowance, it will be paid into your bank account. It is then your responsibility to pay the rent to your landlord.
Local housing allowance online application
Existing private tenants claiming housing benefit
Local Housing Allowance replaces Housing Benefit in the private rented sector. However, if you are renting privately and are still receiving Housing Benefit, this will not change, unless:
- You make a new claim for housing benefit
- You move house
- You stop claiming housing benefit for one week or more
- In these circumstances, you will make a new application to the Local Housing Allowance.
How much Local Housing Allowance you’ll receive
The amount of LHA you are entitled to depends on the size of your property, the average rental cost for the area in which you live, and how many people live with you. It looks at the number of bedrooms you need for your household, and pays an amount based on this.
Under LHA, you can claim for one room for each of the following:
- A single claimant, or an adult couple
- Any other single adult aged 16 or over
- Any two children under the age of 10
- Any two children of the same sex up to the age of 15
- Any other child
Based on the number of rooms LHA allows you to claim for, the current amount you might receive per week is displayed in the table below.
Local Housing Allowance Rates April 2023
- Greater Liverpool – covers Huyton, Kirkby, Halewood and Knowsley Village
- St Helens – covers Whiston and Prescot
- North Cheshire – covers Cronton
Please note: the above rates are valid for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
If you are aged under 35 and are not living as part of a couple, and have no dependent children, you are only eligible to claim the shared accommodation rate. This is based on average local rents for properties that are not self contained, eg there is a shared kitchen, bathroom, toilet or living room.
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