LHA calculator 2026/27
England · rates from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 · last checked October 2026
Answer four quick questions to see which LHA rate you get and whether it covers your rent.
Example: a couple with a boy of 12 and a girl of 8 in Leeds need 3 bedrooms. The Leeds 3 bedroom rate is £850.00 a month on Universal Credit, so on a rent of £1,000.00 they would pay £150.00 a month themselves.
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Which rate do I get?
It depends on who lives with you, not on the size of the home.
- Shared accommodation rate
- You're single, under 35 and have no children.Some people under 35 get the 1 bedroom rate instead, such as care leavers under 25 and people getting the daily living part of PIP.
- 1 bedroom rate
- You're single and 35 or over, or you're a couple with no children.
- 2, 3 or 4 bedroom rate
- Other people live with you. Count the bedrooms like this:
- One room for you, or for you and your partner
- One room for every other adult (16 or over)
- Children under 10 can share in pairs, boys and girls together
- From age 10, a child only shares with another child of the same sex
- Never more than two children to a room
On Housing Benefit instead of Universal Credit? If you rent a room in a shared house, you usually get the shared accommodation rate at any age.
Where to apply
- Universal Credit (most working-age people): apply on GOV.UK. Your housing costs are part of your claim.
- Housing Benefit (mainly people over State Pension age, or in supported or temporary housing): find your council's Housing Benefit page on GOV.UK.
- If your rent is more than the LHA rate, you can ask your council for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help with the difference.
Weekly and monthly rates
There are two official sets of LHA rates for each Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA). Universal Credit uses monthly rates, published by DWP. Housing Benefit uses weekly rates, published by the Valuation Office Agency. The two are set separately, so the weekly rate × 52 ÷ 12 does not exactly match the monthly rate. Both are shown here exactly as published.
Are LHA rates changing?
The 2026/27 rates are the same as the rates set in April 2024. In October 2026 the government confirmed they will stay frozen for 2027/28, so they are expected to apply until March 2028. LHA rates for 2027/28 · report of the announcement