Local Housing Allowance
More information
LHA is help with housing costs for tenants renting accommodation from a private landlord.
LHA will not affect you if you rent your home from a social housing provider or Housing Association.
Local Housing Allowance is usually based on:
- who lives with you
- which area you live in
- how much money you have coming in
- what savings you have
In some cases the amount of benefit you are entitled to will be affected by other things. These can include:
- how much your rent is
- whether anyone living with you is expected to contribute to your rent
How will I get my benefit if Local Housing Allowance applies to me?
Usually you will have your benefit paid directly to you. It will be paid directly into your bank or building society account. If you don’t have an account we can offer help.
You can get advice about opening and running a bank account from any bank or building society. You can also get advice from Inverclyde Advice First on 01475 715299.
When you receive Local Housing Allowance you need to make arrangements to pay your rent.
Can I have my benefit paid direct to my landlord?
Your benefit is paid to you unless you are likely to have difficulty paying your rent, or it must be paid to your landlord. If you are worried about managing your money, ask us if we can help. In some cases we may be able to pay your rent to your landlord.
What will happen if I use my benefit for something else?
Your benefit is for you to pay your rent with. If you do not use your benefit to pay your rent, your landlord may take you to court or try to evict you and you may lose your home.
Changes of circumstance
If you are getting Housing Benefit and you move to a new address or other circumstances change, you should tell us straightaway.
You may need to make a new claim for Housing Benefit.
Where to get more information
If you want to know more about the changes and how they affect you please contact us using the details under Contacts on this page.
Remember that this webpage is a guide only. It is not meant to say exactly what your legal rights are. While we have tried to make sure that the information is correct at the date shown, it is possible that there may be incorrect information or some ideas may be oversimplified. Also, please remember that the information on this page is likely to become less accurate over time because of changes to the law.
Page last updated: 14 December 2022