Guidance

Local Housing Allowance guidance and good practice for local authorities

This page provides local authorities with information and guidance about all aspects of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) scheme.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
28 August 2013
Last updated
30 June 2014 — See all updates

Documents

Local Housing Allowance guidance manual

PDF, 405 KB, 85 pages

Local Housing Allowance good practice guide

PDF, 719 KB, 27 pages

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Details

Local Housing Allowance guidance manual

The Local Housing Allowance guidance manual offers guidance on the administration of the Local Housing Allowance arrangements in Housing Benefit. It provides information and guidance about:

  • all aspects of the Local Housing Allowance arrangements
  • the legal requirements that local authorities must adhere to

Good practice guide

This Good Practice Guide has been produced to supplement the Local Housing Allowance Guidance Manual Chapters 4-6. These cover:

  • paying benefit under the Local Housing Allowance arrangements
  • the operation of the safeguards for people who are unable or unlikely to manage their rental payments

The Good Practice Guide covers:

  • preventing customers getting into rent arrears
  • developing and publicising safeguard policies
  • engagement with stakeholders
  • proactively identifying customers who may need safeguarding
  • notifying and reviewing decisions

There are also some case studies in the annexes from a number of local authorities covering:

  • working with stakeholders (Southend)
  • operating the safeguards (Elmbridge)
  • using the Local Housing Allowance to alleviate homelessness (Coventry)
  • working with a credit union (Peterborough)
Published 28 August 2013
Last updated 30 June 2014 + show all updates

  1. Replaced 2011 edition of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) guidance manual with an updated edition.

  2. First published.

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