What's the difference, if any, between Housing Benefit (HB) and Local Housing Allowance (LHA)?

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

What's the difference between LHA, which I understand stands for Local Housing Allowance, and HB, which I know stands in this context for Housing Benefit please? Sometime I think the terms are interchangeable, sometimes I think not, which is why I'm asking.

Yours faithfully,

Bill Kruse

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Tom Evans left an annotation ()

Housing benefit is the name of the benefit itself that people can claim to help with their rent.

LHA is the system for setting the maximum amount that can be claimed, for claimants with private sector tenancies. It's therefore a part of the larger HB scheme.

DWP - HPD FOI's, Department for Work and Pensions

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