If you are renting a property or room from a private landlord, we use the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate to work out how much Housing Benefit you get.
The LHA is capped at £400 per week. This means if your LHA is over £400 per week, you will only get up to £400 per week.
Local Housing Allowance rates
Local Housing Allowance rates are set for different types of accommodation in each area by the Valuation Office Agency. The amount of Housing Benefit you get will depend on where you live and who lives with you.
This rate is based on the number of bedrooms in the property and the area or Broad Market Rental Area (BRMA) it is in.
Properties in Farnham come under the Blackwater Valley BRMA and properties in Godalming, Haslemere and the rest of the borough come under the Guildford BRMA.
Local Housing Allowance rates are usually set every January, and change from 1 April each year.
LHA rates
Blackwater Valley area (ie Farnham)
|
Type of home
|
Weekly rate
|
|
Shared accommodation
|
£86.50
|
|
One bedroom
|
£161.10
|
|
Two bedroom
|
£201.37
|
|
Three bedroom
|
£253.15
|
|
Four bedroom
|
£333.70
|
Guildford area (ie Godalming, Haslemere and other parts of Waverley)
| Type of home |
Weekly rate
|
|
Shared accommodation
|
£112.77
|
|
One bedroom
|
£195.62
|
|
Two bedroom
|
£253.15
|
|
Three bedroom
|
£316.44
|
|
Four bedroom
|
£414.25 (capped at £400)
|
Private tenants Housing Benefit payment
We normally pay benefit to the tenant, who will then pay the landlord.
In certain circumstances (if you go into rent arrears by eight weeks or more, or you may be considered vulnerable) your landlord can ask us to make payments directly to them instead of you.
If we pay you directly, you will receive payment every two weeks (in arears).
Size criteria
We only include bedrooms when we calculate how many rooms a property has, as all tenants are entitled to a kitchen and a bathroom.
Bedrooms
The entitlements are one bedroom for every adult couple and every single adult over the age of 16.
A single child is also entitled to one bedroom. Any two children of the same sex aged under 16 and any two children aged under ten need to share a bedroom under the criteria.
You can calculate how many bedrooms you are entitled to using the bedroom calculator on the Valuation Office Agency website.
Please call 01483 523596 to tell us about your intention to claim.