How to apply for the Local Housing Allowance
Updated: 08 Feb 2012
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Claims for Local Housing Allowance are made in the same way as claims for Housing Benefit, with a Housing Benefit HB1 claim form. Go to the Housing Benefit section of this site for more information.
- Download the HB1 Housing Benefit claim form (
592 KB)
Backdating claims
A claim for LHA can be backdated for up to 52 weeks if:
- the claimant has "continuous good cause" for a late claim, or
- the claimant is aged 60 or over - no need to show good cause
There are two possible situations concerning backdating:
- A claim is made in October 2008 and backdated to May 2008. The LHA rate for May is used to calculate the benefit. If the claimant has been paid LHA using the October rate pending the backdating decision, any overpayment may be recoverable.
- A claim is made in July 2008 and backdated to January 2008. In this case the effective start of the claim is in January - before LHA is introduced. The claim has to be assessed under "normal" Housing Benefit rules. If the claimant has been paid LHA pending the backdating decision and this is less than "normal" Housing Benefit, they will be paid the arrears. If any LHA paid is more than "normal" Housing Benefit, the overpayment may be recoverable.
It is important for any claimant who is told they have been overpaid to seek advice from their local district office.
