If you are a private tenant renting a property or room from a private landlord, we use local housing allowance to calculate your housing benefit.
The Local Housing Allowance is based on the number of bedrooms you need. It is not based on how much your rent is or previous years rates.
You can use the Local Housing Allowance bedroom calculator to work out how many bedrooms you need.
If you are single and under 35 you are only eligible for the shared rate allowance where you live.
You can look at GOV.UK for information about the Local Housing Allowance.
Our current Local Housing Allowance rates from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 are:
Chelmsford
| Number of rooms | Weekly rate |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom shared accommodation | £98.11 |
| 1 bedroom | £182.96 |
| 2 bedroom | £218.63 |
| 3 bedroom | £276.16 |
| 4 bedroom | £333.70 |
Colchester
| Number of rooms | Weekly rate |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom shared accommodation | £92.36 |
| 1 bedroom | £143.84 |
| 2 bedroom | £182.96 |
| 3 bedroom | £224.38 |
| 4 bedroom | £287.67 |
Bury
| Number of rooms | Weekly rate |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom shared accommodation | £103.87 |
| 1 bedroom | £144.99 |
| 2 bedroom | £178.36 |
| 3 bedroom | £219.78 |
| 4 bedroom | £299.18 |
Cambridge
| Number of rooms | Weekly rate |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom shared accommodation | £121.13 |
| 1 bedroom | £207.12 |
| 2 bedroom | £218.63 |
| 3 bedroom | £258.90 |
| 4 bedroom | £333.70 |
These rates apply from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026
You can also search for LHA rates by postcode.
