Will I have to make a new claim if I move to wales?

JenP85

I am currently in receipt of ESA Income related. 
I am currently looking at moving. If i moved from England to Wales would I have to make a new claim? I have seen people saying Yes and some saying No on here and online.

thanks for any information you can give

HillStreetBlues

Are you claiming rent?

calcotti

You do not have to make a new ESA claim (and cannot).
However if you will be renting and will want help with the rent you will have to claim UC (unless the housing is supported helping). If you claim UC that will end the income based ESA.

Newcad

With a house move to a new area it all depends on if you need to claim benefits to (help) pay rent.
It works like this:

You can't make a new claim for Housing Benefit anymore unless you are a pensioner or in "specified accomodation" (that's generally supported accommodation with care, or emergency accomodation). 

So if you move to a different Local Authority , and need to make a new claim for help with rent, then that new claim has to be for UC Housing Element.
If/when you do claim UC then any other IR benefits you get will also be migrated to UC.

If you don't need to claim benefits to help pay rent then you can stay on your current IR  ESA (for now) and it's just a change of address.