from april 2016 the lha rates used to calculate maximum housing benefit levels for private sector tenants were frozen for four years. research by the housing charity shelter indicated that the proportion of such tenants likely to experience a shortfall in housing benefit was 80%, amounting to 300,000 families. the degree of shortfall depends on dwelling, location and individual circumstances, but shelter expected that by 2020 the shortfall could in some cases reach hundreds of pounds a month.