Government rent help from Housing Benefit – Low Housing Allowance (LHA)

Government rent help is provided by Housing Benefit, also called the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) scheme if the applicant is renting from a private landlord. The programme has gone through changes, but it is still available to some families in the UK.

The Housing Benefit can still offer government funds to help with paying rent if the applicant is disabled, someone leaving a shelter or temporary housing, and it can also help older people on a pension. Tenants in a couple relationship have more restrictions on applying too. Find more details on the government Housing Benefit scheme below.

The amount of assistance provided will vary. The government looks at many factors as noted below. In addition, the Housing Benefit is and continues to be replaced by the Universal Welfare credit scheme. Only some United Kingdom residents will be eligible for financial assistance from the Housing Scheme, and the remainder need to get help with rental payments from charities, their council, or Universal Credit.

Amount of government rent help

When found eligible, there are many criteria that determine how much money will be paid by the government. One big factor is also the overall budget in the UK, as the government sets funding each year for welfare schemes as well as local housing allowance programmes.

The amount of funds paid to the tenants is partly determined by the number of bedrooms in the flat or home. This will be the main factor when determining rental assistance amounts. It is set by the number of children, the adults, the age of the children, and other factors. Additional money may be paid for more needed bedrooms in the property, flat, or home.

Another key factor is whether the individual or family rents privately from a property owner, Social Landlord or from a council or local Housing Association. The amount of help varies based on the type of landlord or property owner. Note if renting from private landlord, the financial assistance is called local Housing Allowance by the government. The city where the family lives also changes the Housing Benefit rent payments, as costly cities like London the tenant may get more government help.

Another criteria for the amount of rent assistance from the Housing Benefit is the financial situation of the applicant. The authorities that assess applications will review the applicant’s income, amount of money in savings/capital (which must be less than £16,000 to apply), and number of household members. However, no one who is on the Housing Benefit scheme (or LHA) should expect a large amount of rent help from the government.

Housing Benefit provides different amounts of financial support to different people. Also, working people who are either (1) on Universal Credit or (2) eligible for it can’t apply. They need to use their Universal Credit funds for paying their rent and other bills, like food, electricity, transportation, and others. There are calculators that can be used to help determine the amount of funds you may get for paying rent.

Housing Benefit applications, denials, and other options for rent help

When applying, some applications can be denied. The government has an appeal process for the Housing Benefit when a denial takes place. Your local council can guide the applicant through the process. The applicant can ask the authorities to explain their denial and provide specific reasons. Or the applicant can ask the government to reassess the applications for government rent help from the Housing Benefit scheme.

If not eligible for assistance with rent from Housing Benefit Scheme, tenants have other options. Some charities may offer short term emergency help, there are loan schemes, welfare grants, solicitor legal advice, and more. Find a list of places that help pay rent arrears or future housing costs in a crisis.

In addition, as noted, Housing Benefit and/or LHA is only open for a small number of people now as it is being replaced by Universal Credit. This makes it even more important for tenants to budget their money properly, account for all household expenses and bills, and take other steps to be self-sufficient.