How to estimate your Housing Benefit

Please be aware that this page and the information on the calculator will only give you an estimate of your entitlement. The calculation of Benefit can be affected by a number of different factors and you will only be certain of the amount you will receive once we have written to you in response to a properly completed claim form.

From Monday 7th April 2008 a new method of calculating Housing Benefit, Local Housing Allowance, is being introduced for people who are starting to claim benefit and are living in privately owned accomodation. People who are already claiming benefit will not be affected (unless they have a break in their claim, or move), and people living in Council accomodation will not be affected. Please ensure you check if your claim will be for Local Housing Allowance or existing Housing Benefit, and that you enter the correct information into the calculator.

If you are claiming Local Housing Allowance (you are a new claimant, after 7 April 2008, and you are living in private rented accomodation), check the number of rooms you are entitled to using the ‘Local Housing Allowance Room Entitlement Calculator’, then find the Local Housing Allowance rate for that number of rooms on the ‘Local Housing Allowance room rate information’ link. That will be the maximum you can receive.

Local Housing Allowance Room Entitlement Calculator

Local Housing Allowance current room rate information

If you are a Council tenant or you are an existing claimant you can just enter your rent into the calculator. If you are a new claimant affected by Local Housing Allowance you must use the figures you have obtained from the room calculator and the Local Housing Allowance information.

Benefit Calculator

If you want your Local Housing Allowance claim to be backdated to a previous month you will have to use the room rate for the first month of your claim. Please see previous room rates on the following link.

Local Housing Allowance previous room rate information

This document was last updated on 2008-05-14 14:55:09 published by the Revenues and Benefits team. Document Reference:LBE_132615