What Are The Difficulties Of Moving Area While On Benefit?

TOBRUK

In 1995 I moved 100 miles away from family to work, I had a good job with great career prospects, my life revolved around work, bought a house and life was just great. 1997 illness struck and although I struggled to stay working eventually end of 1999 I had to leave work and haven't worked since. My world changed completely and life just came to a halt.

I receive DLA and Income support/incapacity. My GP doesn't believe I shall be well enough to work in future. As my life and social life used to revolve around work and since I left, because I am now almost housebound I don't know many people where I live or know the area well. I have been lucky that I have good neighbours and when I have been very ill I have received help from them.

Recently I have thought of moving back home so that I would be close to family and back to an area I know. I would very much appreciate any advice you good people could give me about the difficulties I would face with regard benefits if I moved area.

I have a mortgage on benefit and would be moving 100 miles so would have to deal with a different authority with regard benefits other than DLA.

How difficult would this be?

seven-day-weekend

AFAIK it wouldn't make any difference to your IB or DLA - my husband could continue to claim his IB when we moved to Spain!

The mortgage interest I know nothing about, but I'm sure someone will be along soon who does.

clairec79

I don't know if a bank would give you a morgage while you are on benefits

TOBRUK

clairec79 wrote: »

I don't know if a bank would give you a morgage while you are on benefits

I already have a mortgage - I would be selling my house and buying one near home.

clairec79

but when you change to a new house doesn't it change the terms of your mortgage and them technically allow a 'new' mortgage? (I may be wrong)

TOBRUK

I would have the money from the sale of my house - currently worth almost 4 times my mortgage.

healy

There should not be any problems if you move to another area. It would probably be best to advise both the old and new local benefits office of the move and your new address.

parisjordana

sounds like your mind is made up TOBRUK,Im sorry in 1999 your life changed because of your illness ,if its where you would feel happier then yes Id do it,life is to short....it sounds exciting so may I wish you good luck.

TOBRUK

parisjordana wrote: »

sounds like your mind is made up TOBRUK,Im sorry in 1999 your life changed because of your illness ,if its where you would feel happier then yes Id do it,life is to short....it sounds exciting so may I wish you good luck.

Hi parisjordana,
My mind isn't made up but it is something that I have found myself thinking about quite frequently during the past couple of months. The reason why I haven't considered it before is that I was hoping that I would become well enough to work and I am in an area where there is more of a chance and opportunities of work than back home. I only live a few miles from Cardiff and even if I was only able to work from home I feel that there could be more work around, as back home it is very rural (West Wales) and finding employment slim.

I haven't considered it until now because I felt that to go back home would be to give up (if you understand what I'm saying) and give in to the fact that I probably will never work again. To me that prospect is devastating and I feel worthless. I have just been waiting and hoping that I would get better!

However, back home are family who I would see on a daily basis and I would have help when needed. I am lucky that I do have good neighbours where I live and if I was in trouble I could ask for help, but it isn't quite the same as having family around.

As things are I can go days where I don't see anyone - I do manage to go out of the house on average once a week to get a few things as I do have an adapted car, but it depends on my condition. Obviously I don't have a social life and I live alone.

I do phone family every day, but they are a distance away. Although I don't mind my own company I do find I can get a little lonely at times.

I just find myself weighing up the good and the bad - the pros and cons!!

parisjordana

Hi there
I know what you mean when you say it feels as though you are giving up but you arnt,Its like when I moved away from where I had grown up as thinking it would be an adventure which it didnt turn out to be and I couldnt wait to get back into my comfortable surroundings as its where I knew best and felt safe(if only I knew this in the first place I wouldnt have wasted all the money in moving and moving back) by moving back I felt a failure like Id given in and felt silly in fact because I had told everyone of the dream of moving away but when it doesnt work it doesnt work.
For you it sounds very different,it doesnt sound like you are making a quick decision it sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this,you would be saying goodbye to a lot of things but hello also to plenty and gaining heaps.If you get on with your family how fantastic even better....its like an adventure,at least if you have family around you you will have more going on in your life and see more people and that can lead onto other things such as clubs,meetings etc and maybe work. Obviously this all depends on you as a person and what you can do as with regards to your illness.
Dont be lonely if you dont need to be ,I love company but also my own company,you to could have both.The possibilities are endless and it sounds like your future could be exciting.

D&DD

Tobruk don't forget to check up on availability of services in the other area if you use any just incase things are different there