Universal Credit Calculator

LHA Rates 2026/27: Local Housing Allowance by Area

Every Local Housing Allowance rate for 2026/27 in one table: the monthly Universal Credit cap for all 200 rate areas in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, by bedroom size, with a lookup for your area.

Last updated

MR

Reviewed by Matilda Rose Edwards. Researches and maintains every calculator and guide on this site.

Lookup

What is the LHA rate for my area?

Pick your broad rental market area and the bedrooms your household is allowed. All 200 areas are listed, in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

£475.00a month, Universal Credit

£109.32a week, Housing Benefit

See every rate for Aberdeen and Shire

2026/27 rates

LHA rates in England

Monthly Universal Credit caps for the 152 rate areas in England. Select an area for its weekly Housing Benefit rates, the councils it covers and how it compares.

AreaShared1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
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

2026/27 rates

LHA rates in Wales

Monthly Universal Credit caps for the 22 rate areas in Wales. Select an area for its weekly Housing Benefit rates, the councils it covers and how it compares.

AreaShared1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
Blaenau Gwent£300.00£325.89£430.00£490.00£650.00
Brecon and Radnor£332.41£340.00£440.00£550.00£650.00
Bridgend£300.00£400.00£525.00£575.00£775.00
Caerphilly£337.41£350.00£495.00£550.00£750.00
Cardiff£366.10£650.00£825.00£925.00£1,300.00
Carmarthenshire£336.76£400.00£488.84£535.00£650.00
Ceredigion£304.17£420.00£500.00£550.00£650.00
Flintshire£380.21£450.00£595.00£695.00£925.00
Merthyr Cynon£300.00£434.52£500.00£550.00£725.00
Monmouthshire£337.41£533.16£700.00£795.00£1,100.00
Neath Port Talbot£375.00£411.67£450.00£500.00£575.00
Newport£337.41£440.00£600.00£650.00£880.00
North Clwyd£342.41£395.00£550.00£650.00£855.00
North Powys£293.30£325.00£400.00£550.00£675.00
North West Wales£342.41£391.07£550.00£625.00£750.00
Pembrokeshire£297.41£360.00£460.00£575.00£700.00
South Gwynedd£342.41£350.00£434.52£543.15£675.00
Swansea£375.00£525.00£550.00£600.00£820.00
Taff Rhondda£300.00£375.00£450.00£495.00£650.00
Torfaen£300.00£500.00£564.88£650.00£750.00
Vale of Glamorgan£300.00£525.77£666.00£725.00£1,025.00
Wrexham£391.31£475.00£525.00£600.00£750.00

2026/27 rates

LHA rates in Scotland

Monthly Universal Credit caps for the 18 rate areas in Scotland. Select an area for its weekly Housing Benefit rates, the councils it covers and how it compares.

AreaShared1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
Aberdeen and Shire£325.00£475.00£650.00£860.00£1,250.00
Argyll and Bute£350.00£450.00£600.00£695.00£1,200.00
Ayrshires£375.00£375.00£475.00£564.88£800.00
Dumfries and Galloway£335.00£380.00£450.00£500.00£690.00
Dundee and Angus£375.00£400.00£615.00£795.00£1,100.00
East Dunbartonshire£425.00£550.00£750.00£1,000.00£1,400.00
Fife£375.00£450.00£590.00£715.00£1,250.00
Forth Valley£415.00£460.00£650.00£800.00£1,300.00
Greater Glasgow£450.00£695.00£850.00£970.00£1,800.00
Highland and Islands£380.00£475.00£595.00£695.00£850.00
Lothian£475.00£750.00£970.00£1,375.00£2,180.00
North Lanarkshire£375.00£440.00£550.00£675.00£895.00
Perth and Kinross£359.17£425.00£560.00£750.00£1,250.00
Renfrewshire/Inverclyde£360.00£400.00£525.00£600.00£1,100.00
Scottish Borders£325.00£375.00£500.00£615.00£985.00
South Lanarkshire£375.00£450.00£575.00£715.84£1,107.00
West Dunbartonshire£350.00£475.00£595.00£675.00£950.00
West Lothian£410.00£500.00£625.00£750.00£1,112.50

2026/27 rates

LHA rates in Northern Ireland

Monthly Universal Credit caps for the 8 rate areas in Northern Ireland. Select an area for its weekly Housing Benefit rates, the councils it covers and how it compares.

AreaShared1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
Belfast£329.15£605.47£676.86£752.07£954.91
Lough Neagh Upper£308.86£421.10£515.17£581.22£615.37
Lough Neagh Lower£362.78£422.97£526.43£596.64£652.87
North, Northern Ireland£322.50£520.52£535.85£580.00£641.44
North West, Northern Ireland£383.29£431.18£513.61£579.39£667.86
South, Northern Ireland£284.57£478.32£541.46£601.64£716.14
South East, Northern Ireland£346.32£476.33£626.71£706.01£865.22
South West, Northern Ireland£309.73£385.34£456.95£492.92£579.09

Part 1 of 4

How are LHA rates set?

Local Housing Allowance is the most Universal Credit or Housing Benefit will pay towards private rent. Each rate is meant to sit at the cheapest 30% of local rents for that size of home. In practice the rates have been frozen since April 2024 at levels set from September 2023 market data, including for 2026/27, so the gap between the cap and what is actually available keeps widening.

England, Wales and Scotland's rates are published by DWP. Northern Ireland's eight areas are set by the Housing Executive, and the monthly Universal Credit figures are on nidirect. All four nations are frozen for this year.

Part 2 of 4

Which LHA rate do I get?

The rate depends on two things: the broad rental market area your home is in and the number of bedrooms your household is allowed, not the number you rent. The bedroom entitlement calculator works out the second. LHA never pays above the four-bedroom rate however large the household.

Single renters under 35 with no children are usually limited to the shared accommodation rate, the price of a room in a shared house, even when they rent a whole flat. Exceptions include care leavers aged 18 to 24 and people getting the daily living part of PIP.

Part 3 of 4

What is a broad rental market area?

Rates are set for broad rental market areas, usually a town and its commuter belt rather than a council boundary. One council can be split between two areas, so neighbouring streets can have different rates. Each area page lists the councils it takes in. If you are near an edge, your council can confirm which area your address is in.

Part 4 of 4

Do LHA rates apply to council and housing association tenants?

No. LHA caps private rents. If you rent from a council or housing association, Universal Credit starts from your actual rent and cuts it for spare bedrooms instead, which the bedroom tax calculator shows. Both kinds of tenancy can then lose a housing cost contribution for each other adult living with you, which the housing element calculator includes.

See what Universal Credit pays towards your rent

The housing element calculator applies your area's rate, your bedroom entitlement and any deductions for other adults.

Free, no sign-up, nothing stored.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

The questions renters ask most about Local Housing Allowance rates.

References

Sources

Figures on this page are taken from the following primary sources and were last checked on 15 October 2026.

Reviewed by

MR
Matilda Rose Edwards

Researcher and editor

Researches and maintains the calculators and guides on this site, checking every figure against the rates DWP publishes for the current tax year.

Published