Tenants not affected by the scheme:

• Tenancies provided by a registered social landlord (housing associations)
• Supported tenancies provided by certain authorities, social landlords, charities and voluntary organisations
• Tenancies which commenced prior to 1989
• Hostels
• Caravans, houseboats and mobile homes
• Tenancies where the rent officer judges that a large part of the rent is for board and attendance.

These tenants will continue to have their benefit calculated under existing rules.

The Local Housing Allowance is based on rent levels for the area in which a person lives and the number of people living with them. These areas are called Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMA)

The Local Housing Allowance rates are decided by the rent officer and published by the Council so that new claimants and claimants moving house will know in advance the rate of Local Housing Allowance on which their benefit will be based. 

In most cases the Local Housing Allowance is paid to the tenant, usually into a bank account.  You can get advice about opening a bank account from any bank or building society. However, where the tenant can prove that they will struggle with the responsibility of making rent payments to their landlord, the Council will help the tenant to make other arrangements.

The scheme commenced on 7 April 2008 and only applies to new claimants, existing claimants who change address and claimants who reclaim after a break in entitlement.

LHA rates

1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023

BRMA/Bradford and South Dales locality

BRMA/Lancaster locality