Am I allowed to move on my benefits. 28 May 2020 at 4:01PM in Benefits & tax credits 13 replies 552 views

so_and_so

I would like to know if it is possible for me to move homes, or would it invalidate my benefits.

My background is that I am autistic, but due to events around fifteen years ago I had to apply or benefits which I have been living on ever since.  My attempts at getting help to return to a more normal life have been unsuccessful.  A few years go I did finally get to see a specialist, only for the local CCG to deny the funding request for that to continue.  So as well as feeling uncomfortable where I am currently living, I cannot see anything improving for me here and hope that moving to another area may open up access to medical support.

I receive PIP at the standard rate for living and the enhanced rate for mobility, which to me is the wrong way around, but the net result means I should not fight it.  And I receive ESA in the support group with the severe disability premium and disability income guarantee.  Both of those were benefits reviewed last year, oddly the person I met for the work capability assessment was more understanding than most of those I have seen medically.  My rent is covered by local housing allowance and I receive council tax support.

My worry is that I read somewhere that if I move to another local authority area then they do not have to provide any housing support as I will not have any ties to the area.  Is that true?  If not is access to local housing allowance guaranteed or still discretionary in some other ways?  Moving would be very difficult anyway, so staying in the same authority area would have little benefit to justify it.

I assume that I would have to move before claiming any benefits anyway, so that would be too great a risk without being able to know in advance that support is available, and even at best it would leave a gap to cover whilst waiting on the new application to go through.

I currently live in England, but if I wanted to move to Scotland would this have a different effect to my benefits?  The specific areas where I would want to look, if it is possible to move, are in Scotland and England.

Many thanks for any advice people can provide.

calcotti

Because you get SDP in your ESA you are not (currently) allowed to claim UC. Therefore if you move you will keep all of your existing benefits. You will need to make new claims for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction from your new local authority but will be allowed to do this.

poppy12345

so_and_so said:

My worry is that I read somewhere that if I move to another local authority area then they do not have to provide any housing support as I will not have any ties to the area.  Is that true?

Not sure where you read that but it's not correct. What you most likely read was for social housing you must have a local conntection to the area you want to move to, if it's a different local council.

so_and_so

I suppose that must have been what confused me, poppy12345.  It was probably several years ago when my landlord first gave me notice of ending my tenancy, and then instead just made a big increase to the rent.  Which in fairness was closer to the market rate, and the council obviously had a long waiting list for housing so said this was the best option and moved me from housing benefit to LHA to cover most of the difference.

But as I believe housing benefits are paid for by the council, it did not seem unreasonable that they would not be willing to pay to everyone who moves to their area, especially those like me who do not offer anything back.

As I need to shield due to other conditions, I now know it will be worth my time researching areas to see where I may be able to receive better NHS help.

Thank you both for your quick and helpful replies.

poppy12345

Just so that you are aware, it may not be as easy as you think to find a landlord that accepts DSS because a lot of them won't. Those that will, will ask for a guarantor. Google searches of the local area that you're thinking of may help but it still won't be easy. Good luck with your search.

so_and_so

I am hoping that I could get a good reference having lived here for so long without missing rent payments etc. to help with a new landlord.  And I do not know what my credit rating is, but it should be good as I cannot remember the last time I did not even pay off a full credit card balance on the first statement.

But a bigger problem will be the practical ones.  Having to hunt for places remotely while synchronising the start and end of tenancies, and the physical cost of moving.  I do not drive a car so I cannot rent a van, and my dad who did that to help me perviously had a stoke last year and no longer drives.  I have too much stuff though, so will try to get rid of stuff first although that will have to wait until the coronavirus situation is over.

The main thing right now is knowing that my benefits will allow it so I can start looking to work out where I can and should go.

poppy12345

so_and_so said:

I am hoping that I could get a good reference having lived here for so long without missing rent payments etc. to help with a new landlord. 

I moved house in October last year and it took me over a year to successfully find a landlord that would accept me as a DSS claimant. Dispite me renting privately for over 10 years and having a perfect tennat record, never owing any rent, sadly this didn't help me. The only reason i was successful in the end because my son in law agreed to be my guarantor.

so_and_so

That is worrying as it would leave me in a pretty hopeless place.  There is no one who could do that for me.

KxMx

It is hard to find a benefit friendly landlord but not impossible. 

If you contact the housing team at the council you want to move to, they may have a list of benefit friendly LLs or be able to offer other advice. 

poppy12345

I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm just trying to prepare you for how difficult it could potentially be. Yes contact your local council but do be aware that if they do have a list it may not be an updated one. Do some searches on the internet for the area you're looking for and include DSS in the search. I'm not saying that no one accepts us but it's not easy. Good luck and i hope you successfully find what you're looking for.

so_and_so

Thank you both.  I think what I need is proper advice and assistance, but  the lack of that is part of the reason for wanting to move.  The time my landlord gave me notice I contacted the local Citizen's Advice Bureau, but they were very unfriendly and just told me to go to the council.  And I doubt they would want to help me, even though it would save them paying my rent and council tax.

As I explained at the work capability assessment, if they provided the healthcare I need I would (hopefully) have not be in the position of needing benefits and they could have saved a lot of money.  The entire system is very unfriendly and disconnected.