Local Housing Allowance rates 2026/27
The most Universal Credit or Housing Benefit will pay towards private rent in every area of England and Wales, from April 2026 to March 2027. Free
Rates are frozen. The 2026/27 rates are the same as those set in April 2024, so in most areas they now cover well under the typical rent.
Areas are Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs), which often cover a large town and the villages around it. If your town isn't listed, try the nearest city or your council's name.
| Area (BRMA) | Shared room | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford | £393.24 | £750.00 | £850.00 | £1,097.80 | £1,440.00 |
| Aylesbury | £442.67 | £800.00 | £995.00 | £1,330.00 | £1,650.00 |
| Barnsley | £316.33 | £415.00 | £450.00 | £550.00 | £775.00 |
| Barrow-in-Furness | £395.42 | £475.00 | £500.00 | £635.00 | £807.50 |
| Basingstoke | £406.33 | £780.00 | £950.00 | £1,150.00 | £1,400.00 |
| Bath | £540.00 | £815.00 | £980.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,945.00 |
| Bedford | £450.00 | £650.00 | £825.00 | £1,000.00 | £1,300.00 |
| Birmingham | £341.58 | £695.00 | £750.00 | £825.00 | £1,100.00 |
| Black Country | £320.00 | £495.00 | £625.00 | £750.00 | £925.00 |
| Blackwater Valley | £477.98 | £800.00 | £1,000.00 | £1,295.00 | £1,700.00 |
| Bolton and Bury | £341.51 | £475.00 | £575.00 | £700.00 | £950.00 |
| Bournemouth | £426.33 | £695.00 | £875.00 | £1,150.00 | £1,550.00 |
| Bradford and South Dales | £326.33 | £450.00 | £525.00 | £635.00 | £750.00 |
| Brighton and Hove | £586.61 | £920.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,450.00 | £2,000.00 |
| Bristol | £511.33 | £900.00 | £1,095.00 | £1,300.00 | £1,850.00 |
| Bury St Edmunds | £451.33 | £630.00 | £775.00 | £955.00 | £1,300.00 |
| Cambridge | £526.33 | £900.00 | £950.00 | £1,125.00 | £1,450.00 |
| Canterbury | £425.00 | £675.00 | £895.00 | £1,100.00 | £1,315.00 |
| Central Greater Manchester | £411.58 | £775.00 | £875.00 | £950.00 | £1,350.00 |
| Central Lancs | £304.17 | £450.00 | £575.00 | £650.00 | £925.00 |
| Central London | £829.83 | £1,439.97 | £1,793.98 | £2,160.02 | £3,060.00 |
| Central Norfolk and Norwich | £393.50 | £590.00 | £695.00 | £800.00 | £1,150.00 |
| Chelmsford | £426.33 | £795.00 | £950.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,450.00 |
| Cheltenham | £436.50 | £625.00 | £800.00 | £1,000.00 | £1,470.00 |
| Cherwell Valley | £466.50 | £775.00 | £950.00 | £1,185.00 | £1,450.00 |
| Chesterfield | £351.33 | £450.00 | £525.00 | £600.00 | £850.00 |
| Chichester | £450.00 | £788.00 | £950.00 | £1,225.00 | £1,600.00 |
| Chilterns | £525.00 | £850.00 | £1,100.00 | £1,450.00 | £2,000.00 |
| Colchester | £401.33 | £625.00 | £795.00 | £975.00 | £1,250.00 |
| Coventry | £432.35 | £575.00 | £675.00 | £775.00 | £1,000.00 |
| Crawley and Reigate | £476.33 | £860.00 | £1,100.00 | £1,365.00 | £1,750.00 |
| Darlington | £288.96 | £360.00 | £450.00 | £530.00 | £695.00 |
| Derby | £359.83 | £450.00 | £595.00 | £700.00 | £935.00 |
| Doncaster | £304.17 | £425.00 | £500.00 | £550.00 | £725.00 |
| Dover-Shepway | £431.50 | £510.00 | £695.00 | £865.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Durham | £393.25 | £393.25 | £400.00 | £475.00 | £659.87 |
| East Cheshire | £421.50 | £550.00 | £725.00 | £995.00 | £1,750.00 |
| East Lancs | £291.50 | £425.00 | £475.00 | £595.00 | £795.00 |
| East Thames Valley | £591.50 | £900.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,450.00 | £1,900.00 |
| Eastbourne | £422.50 | £720.00 | £900.00 | £1,083.00 | £1,400.00 |
| Eastern Staffordshire | £321.33 | £495.00 | £600.00 | £725.00 | £985.80 |
| Exeter | £537.00 | £630.00 | £795.00 | £950.00 | £1,300.00 |
| Fylde Coast | £350.88 | £400.00 | £542.00 | £625.00 | £742.50 |
| Gloucester | £406.33 | £550.00 | £725.00 | £850.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Grantham and Newark | £376.33 | £425.00 | £575.00 | £655.00 | £875.01 |
| Greater Liverpool | £344.36 | £500.00 | £595.00 | £650.00 | £875.00 |
| Grimsby | £317.20 | £395.00 | £480.00 | £521.43 | £720.00 |
| Guildford | £515.00 | £950.00 | £1,225.00 | £1,480.00 | £1,978.00 |
| Halifax | £356.31 | £440.00 | £525.00 | £625.00 | £750.00 |
| Harlow and Stortford | £451.33 | £810.00 | £1,025.00 | £1,210.00 | £1,375.00 |
| Harrogate | £421.33 | £595.00 | £735.86 | £875.00 | £1,275.00 |
| Herefordshire | £351.50 | £475.00 | £600.00 | £750.00 | £975.00 |
| High Weald | £459.83 | £800.00 | £1,075.00 | £1,323.00 | £1,825.00 |
| Hull and East Riding | £335.83 | £380.00 | £475.00 | £550.00 | £700.00 |
| Huntingdon | £460.00 | £650.00 | £795.00 | £950.00 | £1,250.00 |
| Inner East London | £699.50 | £1,439.97 | £1,750.00 | £2,160.02 | £3,000.00 |
| Inner North London | £708.27 | £1,439.97 | £1,793.98 | £2,160.02 | £3,060.00 |
| Inner South East London | £650.00 | £1,295.50 | £1,550.00 | £1,950.00 | £2,625.00 |
| Inner South West London | £685.00 | £1,420.00 | £1,700.00 | £2,160.02 | £2,900.00 |
| Inner West London | £760.00 | £1,350.00 | £1,625.00 | £2,050.00 | £2,550.00 |
| Ipswich | £366.50 | £595.00 | £717.00 | £800.00 | £1,100.00 |
| Isle of Wight | £343.27 | £515.00 | £650.00 | £815.00 | £995.00 |
| Kendal | £325.89 | £575.00 | £650.00 | £775.00 | £995.00 |
| Kernow West | £392.50 | £550.00 | £695.00 | £815.00 | £1,100.00 |
| Kings Lynn | £399.83 | £548.23 | £650.00 | £775.00 | £1,050.00 |
| Kirklees | £316.33 | £450.00 | £525.00 | £650.00 | £825.00 |
| Lancaster | £394.33 | £475.00 | £575.00 | £650.00 | £725.00 |
| Leeds | £347.62 | £675.00 | £775.00 | £850.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Leicester | £395.42 | £540.00 | £650.00 | £775.00 | £1,050.00 |
| Lincoln | £354.14 | £495.00 | £600.00 | £675.00 | £925.00 |
| Lincolnshire Fens | £368.33 | £500.00 | £625.00 | £735.00 | £865.03 |
| Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth | £376.33 | £441.07 | £575.00 | £630.00 | £825.00 |
| Luton | £436.17 | £700.00 | £875.00 | £1,100.00 | £1,350.00 |
| Maidstone | £444.83 | £750.00 | £905.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,550.00 |
| Medway and Swale | £410.00 | £675.00 | £850.00 | £940.00 | £1,300.00 |
| Mendip | £405.00 | £600.00 | £775.00 | £975.00 | £1,350.00 |
| Mid and East Devon | £404.11 | £530.00 | £685.00 | £825.00 | £1,100.00 |
| Mid and West Dorset | £426.33 | £595.00 | £750.00 | £900.00 | £1,250.00 |
| Mid Staffs | £352.40 | £500.00 | £625.00 | £740.00 | £995.00 |
| Milton Keynes | £501.33 | £775.00 | £925.00 | £1,195.00 | £1,495.00 |
| Newbury | £451.33 | £750.00 | £895.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,605.00 |
| North Cheshire | £341.50 | £475.00 | £590.00 | £695.00 | £1,000.00 |
| North Cornwall and Devon Borders | £368.33 | £475.00 | £609.00 | £725.00 | £950.00 |
| North Cumbria | £319.83 | £395.00 | £475.00 | £590.00 | £740.00 |
| North Devon | £425.00 | £485.00 | £645.00 | £775.00 | £995.00 |
| North Nottingham | £338.93 | £445.00 | £550.00 | £585.00 | £810.00 |
| North West Kent | £451.33 | £750.00 | £995.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,450.00 |
| North West London | £621.33 | £1,100.00 | £1,350.00 | £1,680.00 | £2,100.00 |
| Northampton | £410.62 | £645.00 | £750.00 | £900.00 | £1,160.00 |
| Northants Central | £375.86 | £550.00 | £695.00 | £795.00 | £995.00 |
| Northumberland | £356.33 | £375.00 | £425.00 | £530.00 | £760.00 |
| Nottingham | £380.00 | £550.00 | £650.00 | £750.00 | £970.00 |
| Oldham and Rochdale | £344.83 | £475.00 | £577.50 | £695.00 | £950.00 |
| Outer East London | £561.33 | £1,200.00 | £1,400.00 | £1,675.00 | £1,950.00 |
| Outer North East London | £549.83 | £1,000.00 | £1,250.00 | £1,500.00 | £1,800.00 |
| Outer North London | £595.00 | £1,150.00 | £1,400.00 | £1,695.00 | £2,200.00 |
| Outer South East London | £600.00 | £1,050.00 | £1,300.00 | £1,550.00 | £1,800.00 |
| Outer South London | £569.33 | £950.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,500.00 | £1,950.00 |
| Outer South West London | £591.50 | £1,200.00 | £1,495.00 | £1,800.00 | £2,550.00 |
| Outer West London | £576.33 | £1,000.00 | £1,300.00 | £1,475.00 | £1,800.00 |
| Oxford | £550.00 | £900.00 | £1,125.00 | £1,325.00 | £1,750.00 |
| Peaks and Dales | £347.62 | £475.00 | £595.00 | £695.00 | £900.00 |
| Peterborough | £344.83 | £575.00 | £700.00 | £810.00 | £1,050.00 |
| Plymouth | £400.00 | £550.00 | £675.00 | £800.00 | £975.00 |
| Portsmouth | £422.83 | £695.00 | £845.00 | £1,000.00 | £1,300.00 |
| Reading | £391.50 | £850.00 | £1,095.00 | £1,300.00 | £1,654.00 |
| Richmond and Hambleton | £417.67 | £450.00 | £550.00 | £650.00 | £830.00 |
| Rotherham | £351.33 | £430.00 | £500.00 | £550.00 | £817.50 |
| Rugby and East | £425.00 | £595.00 | £725.00 | £850.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Salisbury | £426.33 | £650.00 | £780.00 | £915.00 | £1,250.00 |
| Scarborough | £309.83 | £425.00 | £550.00 | £650.00 | £725.00 |
| Scunthorpe | £310.68 | £410.00 | £495.00 | £575.00 | £725.00 |
| Sheffield | £350.00 | £575.00 | £620.00 | £680.00 | £950.00 |
| Shropshire | £369.35 | £475.00 | £595.00 | £725.00 | £975.00 |
| Solihull | £412.50 | £700.00 | £825.00 | £1,000.00 | £1,375.00 |
| South Cheshire | £325.00 | £475.00 | £575.00 | £680.00 | £995.00 |
| South Devon | £367.17 | £505.00 | £675.00 | £840.00 | £1,100.00 |
| South East Herts | £475.00 | £835.00 | £1,050.00 | £1,370.00 | £1,700.00 |
| South West Essex | £476.33 | £775.00 | £950.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,500.00 |
| South West Herts | £501.33 | £950.00 | £1,250.00 | £1,500.00 | £2,000.00 |
| Southampton | £425.00 | £700.00 | £875.00 | £1,075.00 | £1,450.00 |
| Southend | £406.33 | £680.00 | £875.00 | £1,100.00 | £1,350.00 |
| Southern Greater Manchester | £411.58 | £625.00 | £750.00 | £900.00 | £1,400.00 |
| Southport | £369.35 | £475.00 | £600.00 | £775.00 | £925.00 |
| St Helens | £324.75 | £425.00 | £525.00 | £625.00 | £800.00 |
| Staffordshire North | £301.33 | £425.00 | £480.00 | £595.00 | £800.00 |
| Stevenage and North Herts | £436.17 | £775.00 | £975.00 | £1,250.00 | £1,600.00 |
| Sunderland | £321.33 | £425.00 | £475.00 | £550.00 | £700.00 |
| Sussex East | £361.00 | £595.00 | £750.00 | £950.00 | £1,150.00 |
| Swindon | £451.33 | £675.00 | £785.00 | £950.00 | £1,300.00 |
| Tameside and Glossop | £321.08 | £525.00 | £600.00 | £750.00 | £1,150.00 |
| Taunton and West Somerset | £404.11 | £575.00 | £725.00 | £850.00 | £1,000.00 |
| Teesside | £288.96 | £410.00 | £475.00 | £550.00 | £750.00 |
| Thanet | £380.00 | £577.84 | £750.00 | £900.00 | £1,150.00 |
| Tyneside | £381.33 | £490.00 | £550.00 | £650.00 | £925.00 |
| Wakefield | £326.98 | £500.00 | £595.00 | £725.00 | £885.00 |
| Walton | £620.00 | £950.00 | £1,212.00 | £1,450.00 | £1,975.00 |
| Warwickshire South | £412.50 | £700.00 | £850.00 | £1,045.00 | £1,350.00 |
| West Cheshire | £375.86 | £550.00 | £675.00 | £795.00 | £1,224.00 |
| West Cumbria | £319.83 | £385.00 | £475.00 | £550.00 | £700.00 |
| West Pennine | £310.68 | £400.00 | £450.00 | £505.00 | £762.50 |
| West Wiltshire | £450.00 | £595.00 | £725.00 | £900.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Weston-S-Mare | £451.33 | £580.00 | £750.00 | £925.00 | £1,250.00 |
| Wigan | £339.83 | £400.00 | £500.00 | £595.00 | £775.00 |
| Winchester | £525.00 | £825.00 | £1,050.00 | £1,275.00 | £1,700.00 |
| Wirral | £318.71 | £425.00 | £525.00 | £650.00 | £825.00 |
| Wolds and Coast | £344.36 | £400.00 | £495.00 | £600.00 | £675.00 |
| Worcester North | £329.83 | £515.00 | £650.00 | £750.00 | £995.00 |
| Worcester South | £382.58 | £569.00 | £700.00 | £825.00 | £1,150.00 |
| Worthing | £445.00 | £760.00 | £950.00 | £1,180.00 | £1,465.00 |
| Yeovil | £435.00 | £525.00 | £695.00 | £850.00 | £1,250.00 |
| York | £417.67 | £675.00 | £775.00 | £825.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Blaenau Gwent (Wales) | £300.00 | £325.89 | £430.00 | £490.00 | £650.00 |
| Brecon and Radnor (Wales) | £332.41 | £340.00 | £440.00 | £550.00 | £650.00 |
| Bridgend (Wales) | £300.00 | £400.00 | £525.00 | £575.00 | £775.00 |
| Caerphilly (Wales) | £337.41 | £350.00 | £495.00 | £550.00 | £750.00 |
| Cardiff (Wales) | £366.10 | £650.00 | £825.00 | £925.00 | £1,300.00 |
| Carmarthenshire (Wales) | £336.76 | £400.00 | £488.84 | £535.00 | £650.00 |
| Ceredigion (Wales) | £304.17 | £420.00 | £500.00 | £550.00 | £650.00 |
| Flintshire (Wales) | £380.21 | £450.00 | £595.00 | £695.00 | £925.00 |
| Merthyr Cynon (Wales) | £300.00 | £434.52 | £500.00 | £550.00 | £725.00 |
| Monmouthshire (Wales) | £337.41 | £533.16 | £700.00 | £795.00 | £1,100.00 |
| Neath Port Talbot (Wales) | £375.00 | £411.67 | £450.00 | £500.00 | £575.00 |
| Newport (Wales) | £337.41 | £440.00 | £600.00 | £650.00 | £880.00 |
| North Clwyd (Wales) | £342.41 | £395.00 | £550.00 | £650.00 | £855.00 |
| North Powys (Wales) | £293.30 | £325.00 | £400.00 | £550.00 | £675.00 |
| North West Wales (Wales) | £342.41 | £391.07 | £550.00 | £625.00 | £750.00 |
| Pembrokeshire (Wales) | £297.41 | £360.00 | £460.00 | £575.00 | £700.00 |
| South Gwynedd (Wales) | £342.41 | £350.00 | £434.52 | £543.15 | £675.00 |
| Swansea (Wales) | £375.00 | £525.00 | £550.00 | £600.00 | £820.00 |
| Taff Rhondda (Wales) | £300.00 | £375.00 | £450.00 | £495.00 | £650.00 |
| Torfaen (Wales) | £300.00 | £500.00 | £564.88 | £650.00 | £750.00 |
| Vale of Glamorgan (Wales) | £300.00 | £525.77 | £666.00 | £725.00 | £1,025.00 |
| Wrexham (Wales) | £391.31 | £475.00 | £525.00 | £600.00 | £750.00 |
Source: Valuation Office Agency and Rent Service Wales, LHA rates applicable from April 2026 to March 2027. Weekly figures are monthly × 12 ÷ 52. Scotland has its own rates.
How Local Housing Allowance works
If you rent from a private landlord and claim Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, the help you get with rent is capped at the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) for your area and the number of bedrooms you're allowed. If your rent is higher, you pay the difference yourself. Council and housing association tenants are assessed differently and don't use LHA.
How many bedrooms you're allowed
You're allowed one bedroom for:
- each adult couple
- any other adult aged 16 or over
- two children of the same sex under 16
- two children under 10, whatever their sex
- any other child
The most you can get is the 4-bedroom rate, even with a bigger family. Extra rooms can be allowed for an overnight carer, a disabled child who can't share, or a foster child.
The shared accommodation rate
Single people under 35 without children usually only get the shared accommodation rate, the cost of a room in a shared house, even if they rent a self-contained flat. There are exceptions, including care leavers under 25, people who've lived in a homeless hostel for 3 months, some disabled people and some ex-offenders.
Why rates are frozen
LHA was set at the cheapest 30% of local rents in April 2024, then frozen for 2025/26 and again for 2026/27. Rents have kept rising, so the gap between LHA and real rents has grown, especially in the South East, larger cities and popular holiday areas. If your rent is higher than your LHA, you can ask your council for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help with the shortfall.
Worked example
A couple with a boy of 12 and a girl of 8 can have three bedrooms: one for the couple, and one each for the children, because they're different sexes and the boy is over 10. If their 3-bedroom LHA is £850 a month and their rent is £1,000, Universal Credit includes up to £850 for housing, and they pay the other £150 themselves.
Use the Universal Credit calculator on FreeCalcBox to estimate your whole award, and the rent vs buy calculator to compare renting with buying.