DHP advice needed please

poppy12345

Dispite my benefits knowledge i have very little knowledge about a DHP and i'm hoping some of you lovely members could advise me please.

I'm currently living in a privately rented house. My health conditions have got worse in the past year or so and after an OT assessment back in June/July, it was determined that my home is no longer suitable and my LL refused any adaptions.

I put my name on the social housing list in April of this year and in August i was upgraded to urgent medical need to be rehoused in an adapted property. I placed 5 bids on houses since end of September and to my complete surprise i've been offered a house, with my daughter. We viewed the house today and accepted it.

Now comes the frustrating part. A family member had told me that they could get a van free and all i would need to pay for is fuel. I thought, that's perfect but now i've been told that it's not possible. It's a long story so i won't go into details with that.

As i'm moving house because of health conditions, is it possible to apply for a DHP to help with cost of hiring a van? It's part of moving costs but i can only see rent in advance on the website. The house has no carpets or cooker either so quite worrying as the costs are already mounting up. 

Please don't get me wrong, i'm very very exicted to finally be moving somewhere suitable for my health needs but some help would go a long way. 

Thanks in advance for any advice. 

Oh, just to add, it's the same LA so i can continue with my existing legacy benefits, which include HB. 

Jyana

Do you get Legacy ESA? If so Bugeting Loans are allowable for moving costs I believe. It's not a huge amount admitingly, but it may help?

Alice_Holt

My understanding is that it can.  

A couple of quotes from LA websites re DHP:

"Removal costs may be funded when moving to more affordable or appropriate accommodation."

"costs can include help towards rent, tenancy start up costs and moving costs"

However, as I haven't had experience of such an application, I can't add more info.

 

HillStreetBlues

Have a look to see if you can get a  Disabled Relocation Grant from your LA.
Example https://www.southderbyshire.gov.uk/our-services/housing/equipment-and-adaptations-in-your-home/disabled-relocation-grant

P.S.  I hope you and your daughter will be very happy in your new home, good luck with everything.

poppy12345

Jyana said:

Do you get Legacy ESA? If so Bugeting Loans are allowable for moving costs I believe. It's not a huge amount admitingly, but it may help?

Yes, i claim that but i'm already repaying a loan from that so reluctant to have another until it's paid back.

Alice_Holt said:

My understanding is that it can.  

A couple of quotes from LA websites re DHP:

"Removal costs may be funded when moving to more affordable or appropriate accommodation."

"costs can include help towards rent, tenancy start up costs and moving costs"

However, as I haven't had experience of such an application, I can't add more info.

Thanks, that's what i also seen. I will ask the housing officer when they ring and they will hopefully be able to point me in the right direction.

HillStreetBlues said:

Have a look to see if you can get a  Disabled Relocation Grant from your LA.
Example https://www.southderbyshire.gov.uk/our-services/housing/equipment-and-adaptations-in-your-home/disabled-relocation-grant

P.S.  I hope you and your daughter will be very happy in your new home, good luck with everything.

Thanks. Unfortunately, having had a look for that with my LA it doesn't seem like they offer anything like this. Thanks for the good luck wishes, once i've moved i will feel a lot happier.

Spoonie_Turtle

Congratulations on getting a suitable house!  Sorry I can't help with your question but yay, I hope your new home will be much better for you.

poppy12345

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Congratulations on getting a suitable house!  Sorry I can't help with your question but yay, I hope your new home will be much better for you.

Thank you, i appreciate it!

pmlindyloo

According to the manual you can.

Discretionary Housing Payments guidance manual - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Good luck!

Cressida100

I cannot help with the question but just wanted to say I'm really pleased for you and your daughter. Hopefully this house will give you more security. You certainly deserve some nice things to come your way! Good luck with the move. 

Newcad

That's good news, even if a move brings it's own problems.

So practical advice:

I would enquire at your new Housing Association, ask for their welfare depatment.
They have funds to help with such things, particularly moving costs but other things as well.

As an example.
When I moved in here (from a private rental to a HA) I didn't have a cooker because the one at the old place was built in and belonged to the landlord, I was going to get an ESA budgeting loan to buy one.
However when talking to the HA they asked if I had everything I needed for the flat and I mentioned that lack of cooker and that I was going to get a DWP loan to buy one.
'Oh don't do that, I'll get welfare to call you back." and they then used their welfare fund to buy me a new electric cooker, they phoned me (it was lockdown when I moved) and we discussed what I wanted, he was looking on the Argos website so I could see the choices on my laptop and pick one, it was delivered from Argos a few days later.

PS I still got the budgeting loan to use for other things.

poppy12345

pmlindyloo said:

According to the manual you can.

Discretionary Housing Payments guidance manual - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Good luck!

Fantastice, thank you so much!

Cressida100 said:

I cannot help with the question but just wanted to say I'm really pleased for you and your daughter. Hopefully this house will give you more security. You certainly deserve some nice things to come your way! Good luck with the move. 

Thank you, i appreciate that!

Newcad said:

That's good news, even if a move brings it's own problems.

So practical advice:

I would enquire at your new Housing Association, ask for their welfare depatment.
They have funds to help with such things, particularly moving costs but other things as well.

As an example.
When I moved in here (from a private rental to a HA) I didn't have a cooker because the one at the old place was built in and belonged to the landlord, I was going to get an ESA budgeting loan to buy one.
However when talking to the HA they asked if I had everything I needed for the flat and I mentioned that lack of cooker and that I was going to get a DWP loan to buy one.
'Oh don't do that, I'll get welfare to call you back." and they then used their welfare fund to buy me a new electric cooker, they phoned me (it was lockdown when I moved) and we discussed what I wanted, he was looking on the Argos website so I could see the choices on my laptop and pick one, it was delivered from Argos a few days later.

PS I still got the budgeting loan to use for other things.

That's very helpful, thank you. I will definitely ask about that when they ring me to sign the tenancy agreement.