Local Housing Allowance can help towards the cost of rent paid as housing benefit to tenants renting from private landlords.
Local Housing Allowances are non-devolved and are the responsibility of the Department for Works and Pensions. The amount of benefit you get depends on the Local Housing Allowance rate set by Rent Officers Wales.
How we calculate Local Housing Allowance
The rate of Local Housing Allowance depends on the rent paid by private tenants in the same area you live when claiming your housing benefit. This is called ‘Broad Rent Market Area’ (BRMA).
The level of Local Housing Allowance rates depends on the rent that is being paid by people in the same area and the number of bedrooms in their property.
Local Housing Allowance rate for your area
You can check the Local Housing Allowance rate for you by area.
You can also check how many bedrooms you are eligible for, based on the number of people in your household.
If your rent is higher than the Local Housing Allowance rate
If the rent for the property you are renting is higher than the Local Housing Allowance rate, you will be expected to pay the difference. It may be possible to receive additional financial help towards your rent through the Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) scheme. DHPs provide financial support to help with rent or housing costs for those on housing-related benefits and can be claimed via your local housing benefit office. You can get advice on claiming DHPs through Advicelink Cymru (0808 250 5700) and Shelter Cymru (08000 495 495).