To work out how much benefit you might get you need to:
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Work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to and which Local Housing Allowance rate applies to you - this is shown below
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Check the Local Housing Allowance rates for the area you want to live in. Rates can be found further down the page.
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Find out if you can get the full amount of benefit.
The amount of benefit you can get may be affected by:
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any money you have coming in
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any savings you have
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how much your rent is
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if we expect anyone living with you to pay towards your rent
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if you share paying the rent with someone else who is not your partner
For more information about this, please get in touch with us at the contact details below.
How many bedrooms am I entitled to?
The number of people who live with you is used to work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to. We do not count other rooms such as a living room, kitchen or bathroom.
The number of bedrooms you are entitled to is then used to work out which Local Housing Allowance rate usually applies to you. In some cases, there are some more rules – these are looked at below.
You can use the following information as a guide to work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to.
You are entitled to one bedroom for:
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every adult couple (married or unmarried)
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any other adult aged 16 or over
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any two children of the same sex aged under 16
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any two children aged under 10
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any other child
Janet and John
Janet and John are a couple who have a child, Ben, who is nine years old.
They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves and one for Ben. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for two bedrooms.
Susan
Susan is a single mother who has three children, Tom, who is fourteen, Judy, who is eleven and Raymond, who is six.
Susan is entitled to one bedroom for herself, one bedroom for Judy and one bedroom for Tom and Raymond to share. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for three bedrooms.
Lisa and Matt
Lisa and Matt are a couple who have five children, Shaun, who is seventeen, Graham, who is fifteen, Laura, who is twelve, Millie, who is nine and Jessica, who is six.
They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves, one bedroom for Shaun, one bedroom for Laura and Millie to share, one bedroom for Graham and one bedroom for Jessica. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for five bedrooms. However, since April 2011 Local Housing Allowance is limited to the rate for four bedrooms.
What else might affect the Local Housing Allowance rate?
There are extra rules if you are:
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aged 35 or over, single and do not live with any dependants
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aged under 35, single and do not live with any dependants
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a couple and do not live with any dependants
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you are a care leaver aged under 22
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you are severely disabled
These extra rules are explained later.
If you are a joint tenant this may affect the benefit you can get. For more information about joint tenants, please get in touch with us at the address below.
Non-dependants
If you claim benefit you can only get it for yourself and your family. If you share a property with someone who is not part of your family, your benefit may be reduced. This is because we may expect them to pay towards your rent.
For more information about this, please get in touch with us at the address below.
Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are aged under 35
To work out how much benefit you might get you need to find out what Local Housing Allowance rate your benefit will be based on.
If you are aged under 35, are single and do not live with any dependants, you can only get the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate.
Marcus
Marcus is single. He is aged 23.
He is entitled to one bedroom for himself. As he is under 35, he is entitled to the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate.
Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are aged 35 or over
If you are 35 or over, single and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate if you live in:
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a self-contained property
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shared accommodation but have two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use
If you are 35 or over, single and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate if you live in shared accommodation unless you two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use.
By a self-contained property we mean one where you have your own room plus your own:
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bathroom
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toilet, and
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kitchen (or facilities to cook with)
For example, this could be a one-bedroom flat.
Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are a couple
If you are part of a couple and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate if you live in:
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a self-contained property
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shared accommodation but have two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use
If you are part of a couple and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate if you live in shared accommodation.
By couple we mean a man and a woman who are married or are living together as if they are married, or two people of the same sex who are civil partners of each other and are members of the same household.
By a self-contained property we mean one where you have your own room plus your own:
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bathroom
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toilet
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kitchen (or facilities to cook with)
For example, this could be a one-bedroom flat.
Bill and Jane
Bill and Jane are a couple who have no children. They live in a house where they share facilities.
They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves. As they share facilities, this means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate.
Gary and Roger
Gary and Roger are a couple. They live in a self-contained flat.
They are entitled to one bedroom for themselves. This means any benefit they are entitled to will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for one bedroom.
Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are a care leaver under 22
If you are a care leaver under 22, or live with a care leaver under 22 who is your partner, and have no dependent children your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate.
By care leaver we mean someone who was in council care after the age of 15. For more information about what we mean by care leavers, please get in touch with us at the address below.
Working out your Local Housing Allowance if you are severely disabled
If you are severely disabled, or live with a severely disabled partner, and have no dependent children, your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate.
For more information, please get in touch with us at the address below.
Rates
Please note that from April 2012 Local Housing Allowance rates will be frozen for one year, from April 2013 the rates will then be set annually. You will move onto the rate set from April 2012 on your LHA anniversary date or earlier if you:
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Already get Local Housing Allowance and move into another privately rented property
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Your household changes, such as someone leaves or comes to live with you
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Qualify for an additional room for a carer
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Make a new claim for Local Housing Allowance
The table below shows the Local Housing Allowance rates for the Merthyr Cynon Broad Rental Market Area for 2012.
Merthyr Cynon Broad Rental Market Area for April 2012
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Number of bedrooms
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Category
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Weekly amount
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shared room rate
1 bedroom
2 bedrooms
3 bedrooms
4 bedrooms
5 bedrooms
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A
B
C
D
E
F
|
£45.00
£65.00
£80.00
£85.00
£126.92
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|
The table below shows the Local Housing Allowance rates for the Taff Rhondda Broad Rental Market Area for April 2012.
Taff Rhondda Broad Rental Market Area for April 2012
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Number of bedrooms
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Category
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Weekly amount
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shared room rate
1 bedroom
2 bedrooms
3 bedrooms
4 bedrooms
5 bedrooms
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A
B
C
D
E
F
|
£45.00
£67.50
£86.54
£90.00
£138.46
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Contact Us
If you want to know more about the changes and how they affect you please contact us:
Housing Benefits
Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC
Bronwydd House
Porth
CF39 9DL
Tel: 01443 681081
Email: HousingBenefitEnquiries@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk|