The size criteria
One bedroom for
- Every adult couple
- Any other adult aged 16 or over
- Any two children regardless of gender aged under 10
- Any two children of the same gender aged up to 15
- Any other child
For single tenants under 35 years old there will be a "shared" rate of LHA that replaces the single room rent. This rate will also apply to single people over 35 and couples with no other occupiers who chose to live in shared accommodation. Important changes from January 2012
There are no changes to the housing benefit entitlement rules, this is still based on the person's individual circumstances. The LHA rate is only the starting point of the calculation.
How is is worked out?
The tables below show the amount you could expect to receive if you were entitled to full benefit. There are two rates for Wigan and the amount you receive will be based on where you live.
From April 2013 LHA rates and the amount of benefit you receive will be uprated in April 2013. This applies to everybody who claims Housing Benefit in the privately rented sector.
If you live in Ashton or Billinge and your postcode begins WN4 or WN5 we may work out your claim using the weekly rate for the St Helens area. Check which area your postcode would come under by visiting the Rent Service website (external link) . You will need look under the section entitled 'Local Housing Allowance Rates' and agree to the terms and conditions. You will need to know which room rate applies to you before using the guide.
Please see the page entitled 'Which room rate applies to me?' to see how we decide how many bedrooms you would need.
The new rates from April 2013 are.
New LHA effective from April 2013
| Area |
Room |
1 Bed |
2 Bed |
3 Bed |
4 Bed |
| Wigan |
£61.32 |
£80.77 |
£94.34 |
£109.62 |
£150.00 |
| St Helens |
£60.00 |
£80.77 |
£98.08 |
£114.23 |
£150.00 |
What should I do if I can no longer afford to pay my rent?
If your benefit is due to go down, it is very important that you act now to plan how you will manage these changes. We recommend you talk to your landlord as soon as possible to see whether they will reduce the rent on your property. As an incentive we can pay your Housing Benefit directly to your landlord if they agree to reduce the rent charged to an affordable level.
If it’s not possible to renegotiate your rent you could either make up the shortfall yourself or start looking for cheaper shared accommodation. You might want to talk about your situation with the Housing Options Advice Centre (external link) or the Citizens Advice Bureau (external link).
A new dedicated team has also been set up to help residents across Greater Manchester. You can phone them on 0845 120 2093 (local rate number) or visit the Help With Rent website (external link).
We may also be able to help you meet the gap between your benefit entitlement and the rent you pay by awarding a discretionary housing payment.
The amount of money available for these payments is limited so we will have to consider your circumstances carefully.
Is there an advisor near you?
