Great Britain’s Local Housing Allowance will remain fixed at the levels determined on 31 January 2024 for the 2026 determination cycle. The change is enacted by the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/5), applying across all broad rental market areas and covering both Housing Benefit and the housing costs element of Universal Credit.
The Order was made on 6 January 2026, laid before Parliament on 8 January 2026 and comes into force on 30 January 2026. It extends to England, Wales and Scotland; Northern Ireland is not within scope.
Legally, the instrument modifies three existing orders: the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 for England and Wales, the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997, and the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013. In each case, paragraph 2(2) is replaced so that, for any category of dwelling or accommodation in any broad rental market area, the applicable local housing allowance is the allowance determined on 31 January 2024.
In practical terms, LHA sets the maximum eligible rent figure used in benefit calculations. By fixing 2026 determinations to the 31 January 2024 rates, claimants and local authorities should not expect an uprating to LHA maxima during the 2026 cycle. Awards may still change for reasons unrelated to LHA, such as household composition or income changes.
The wording applies to all categories used in the scheme, including the shared accommodation rate and standard bedroom categories as defined in the underlying 1997 and 2013 Orders. No other provisions of those Orders are amended here, so existing rules on property categories, broad rental market areas and caps remain in effect.
Operationally, rent officers and local authority benefits teams will continue to reference the Valuation Office Agency’s 31 January 2024 LHA tables when assessing new claims, changes of circumstances and annual reviews that rely on LHA maxima during 2026.
For Housing Benefit and Universal Credit claimants, the freeze means the local maximum used to assess eligible rent remains unchanged from the 31 January 2024 figures. This affects both new and existing claims wherever LHA applies, subject to the usual scheme rules on determinations and anniversaries.
This approach mirrors S.I. 2025/5, which set the 2025 determinations by reference to 31 January 2024. The 2026 Order maintains that reference point for a further year, providing administrative continuity for rent officers and local authorities across Great Britain.
The instrument cites section 122(1) and 122(6)(b) of the Housing Act 1996 as its enabling powers and is signed by the Minister of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, Stephen Timms. The Explanatory Note states that no full impact assessment has been produced, as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.
Next steps for delivery bodies are straightforward: schedule system confirmations and claimant communications ahead of the 30 January 2026 commencement, and ensure internal guidance reflects that 2026 determinations continue to use the 31 January 2024 LHA rates across all broad rental market areas in England, Wales and Scotland.