Transfer benefits from Northern Ireland to England

Cate1976

This is going to be long so trying to break it down as much as possible.

My husband & I are moving to England, hopefully 2nd week of October. We have twin girls who'll be 7 weeks off their 3rd birthday when we move. Reasons for moving are to be near my family, we also feel that we can give the girls the life we want them to have easier in England than we could here in Northern Ireland and we believe that there's better chance of at least one of us being able to get work.

Due to our circumstances the list of benefits we're on are:
Income Support which I'm claiming due to being my Husband's Carer, get couple rate, disability & carer's premiums.
Disability Living Allowance which my husband claims.
Carer's Allowance claimed by me.
Housing Benefit joint claim.
Child Tax Credits joint claim.
Child Benefit.

Taking each of these in turn, the information I've been given bvy jobcentre in town is:

Income Support will be paid up to the day before we move, from the day we move, we have to claim from benefits office in the town we're moving to. I'm assuming this means we'll have to phone the office after we've handed the keys of our current house in or possibly online from the airport. That's unless benefits office will be ok with us going in the day after we leave Northern Ireland but claim from moving day.

DLA & Carer's Allowance: I spoke to Carer's Allowance last week and am assuming rules will be the same for DLA. Carers Allowance will be paid up to when we move (assume this'll be day before we move), claim will then be suspended and I'll have to claim from day after Northern Ireland pay up to. Carer's Allowance claims are dealt with by an office in Preston and DLA is somewhere else. Local jobcentre have given me the phone numbers already and advised me to ring as soon as I have moving date.

Housing Benefit: Will be a fresh claim. I'm aware of how LHA works and have already checked to see what the maximum is that LHA will cover.

Child Tax Credits & Child Benefit: I'm hoping that these will be simple case of phone to give them new address and payments will carry on.

Now obviously, the benefits will take a while to get sorted especially the DLA & Carer's Allowance, my question is will benefits office in England allow me to claim Income Support or will I have to go on JSA while DLA & Carer's Allowance are being sorted out? My husband wouldn't be able to do a full time job due to his physical capabilities. I am aware that if you have children under a certain age, one parent can be excused from looking for work.

Just to make it clear at this point, we're not scroungers, I'm only trying to ensure that we continue to get what we're entitled to. I will be looking for work as soon as we've got the house sorted out and got the girls settled, the hope is that this will be done by the end of October at the latest (hoping to get the house fully sorted in 10-14 days). The goal I've set is for us to be off the means tested benefits before the girls start school (September 2014) at the latest. My biggest fear is that we'll be in a situation where we have to pay the landlord full rent out of CTC while Housing Benefit is sorted (think this won't be processed until Income Support is being paid). Also we'll have to pay the Council Tax until that is worked out based on Income Support. That being the case, we won't have enough money for things like food, nappies & electric/gas especially if these are on pre payment meters.

I'm hoping that DLA & Carer's Allowance will only take a couple of weeks to get transferred but I'm thinking that could be optimistic.

I would definitely like to have everything sorted out before the end of November (girls birthday is 1st December) and definitely before Christmas (think Housing Benefit can take 8-12 weeks). have planned move date to fit around parents holidays (they'll be looking after the girls during the day while my husband & I do all the unpacking and getting things where we want them) and to try to have benefits sorted before Christmas.

Thanks to anyone who can give me advice or correct me if any of what I'm thinking is inaccurate.

kingfisherblue

You could try the Benefits Enquiry Line for information:

0800 882200

DLA is based at Warbreck House in Blackpool (which is also the address for the BEL).

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/dl1/directories/dg_10011165

I would have thought that DLA and CA would continue, and that you just inform them of a change in circumstances (your address), but I may be wrong. Does your husband's DLA originate from Blackpool now, or is it dealt with at an address in Northern Ireland?

Cate1976

DLA & Carers are claimed from here in Northern Ireland. Officers for both are in Belfast. Whole benefits system here in Northern Ireland is seperate from the mainland which is why Income Support will have to be stopped, claim closed down and we'll claim from benefits office in England.

Next question, I know that years ago, JSA was claimed in jobcentres but Income Support from Benefits Office. Does this still apply or not?

[Deleted User]

i think you might need to find out which benefits delivery centre (BDC)covers the area you are moving to

Cate1976

Does that mean that in England, only JSA is dealt with by jobcentre with Income Support being dealt with by different offices? Is HB still dealt with by going to council offices?

I know that there have been some changes to which offices deal with which benefits. Would like to know before we move which office I need to go to to claim each benefit.

mikey_bach

As soon as you have an address in England contact the nearest BDC.
Income Support is paid by DWP, same as JSA.
You will not have any problems, as soon as you notify CA, DLA and I.S of your new address you will be ok
You will be paid in Northern Island up to the day you leave, the claim will be closed but when you arrive over here they will pull the claim in to your local new office, you will complete a change of address over the phone your claim to I.S will be reopened with no break in pay

http://los.direct.gov.uk/default.aspx?type=1&lang=en.

They may ask you to fill in an A2 form just to confirm your circumstances
You will claim HB from your local new council, but you should be entitled to full housing benefit as you will be on I.S

Cate1976

Conflicting information here, jobcentre here in Northern Ireland have told me I.S. will be paid up to day before we leave and England will pay from moving day. Claim here in Northern Ireland will be closed and I'll have to do a fresh claim in England. DLA & CA are transferable but latter will be suspended by office here in Northern Ireland and Blackpool & Preston will then pick them up.

Have just checked the link using a random postcode within the town we're moving to and the office I need to go to is the Jobcentre Plus office which is in the town centre.

mikey_bach

Yes sorry was a typo error,
NI will pay you up to the day you leave, your new office from the day you move.
You may not have to do a fresh claim in our area they have pulled claims in and paid with an A2 and a change of address form.
As soon as you do a COA form things will move
Exciting times big move

Cate1976

So if the date we leave NI is the 9th October, we'll get paid up to 9th October by NI. 10th onwards will be England, this is what I'm hoping for.

My husband thinks the timings will be van arrive about 8am, loads up and leaves about 12-1pm. We'll then go and hand keys in on our way to bus station to start journey over to England which will involve 2 buses to get to the airport, flight to Stansted, then Dad pick us up and take us to theirs.

Van won't be at new house till the next day. Depending on what time van arrives, I'm hoping to be able to go to jobcentre in the town we're moving to first thing in the morning. If van arrives early morning, then I'll go to jobcentre after van has been unloaded.

It will help us if IS can be sorted with A2 and change of address forms. If that's the case, will letters from DLA and CA here in NI be enough proof for England to pay us the disability & Carer premiums or will we have to wait for the benefits to be transferred and processed by Blackpool & Preston? It's the financial side of things that's concerning me the most. If it comes to it, my parents would be able to give us some help but I'd rather try to save enough that we can survive without having to ask my parents to help out.

mikey_bach

the day you leave NI ring the office and change your address to your new address, NI will close your claim, when you reach England then as soon as possible
you can ring your new BDC do a COA and they will pull your claim in and reopen it, you CAN complete the COA over the phone, they may want a A2, some offices dont.

With regards to DLA and CA once they have the COA I can see no problem they will put your claim back into payment
You should be soon up and running again

Cate1976

Thanks for that, will have phone no for office in the town we're moving to in my mobile. Will try to phone after the van has gone before we start journey, other alternative is to find a quiet corner somewhere en route to do it.

How long roughly is it likely to take for NI to close claim and for it to show on computer in office in England? If benefits are going to be late, a few days on the IS will be able to be worked round. If DLA & CA are delayed, that could cause problems.

I'm thinking that the IS is going to be the easiest and quickest to be transferred. DLA & CA can and do take their time to process anything which is why I'll be phoning Blackpool & Preston as soon as I know my new address and moving date.