Possible house move & Housing Benefit?

Miró

Asking this on behalf of a single pensioner friend currently in a housing association, 1 bed flat and receiving full housing benefit and council tax. She needs to move due to increasing anti-social behaviour/security issues where she currently resides. She has been offered a 2 bedroom flat by a different housing association and is keen to move. However, before agreeing to the new tenancy she is wondering about the following.....

1. Would a single person get full HB in a 2 bed property?

2. Because of the different rules of each HA regarding when the tenancies start/end and notice periods there will be an overlapping period of approx 6 weeks when rent will have to be paid on both the old and new properties. Can a claim for housing benefit be made for 2 properties at the same time? Also, how would this affect the claim for council tax...would this also have to be claimed for on both properties during the overlap period?

Does anyone have any idea how this works please?? We have tried to get answers from the local council with little success.....!

Any help/advice would be very much appreciated.

HappyMJ

1. Yes.

2. Maybe. Notice needs to be handed in ASAP and the new tenancy taken on as late as possible. They'll pay for a few weeks but not for 6 weeks.

pandaspot

Hi regarding benefit on two homes, I have just checked legislation on this, I work as a housing benefit assessor.

Benefit can be paid up to a period of 4 weeks, they need to prove there liability on both dwellings could not be easily avoided, which it couldn't.

And the main thing and most important they need to be living in the new property. You can not claim an overlap or benefit on two homes if you haven't moved into the new property yet.