Moving Home

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I last posted on here.

Anyway I am after a bit of clarification on what the rules are with regard to moving home within the same local authority area.

My currently housing is not suitable anymore and I have been offered a new tenancy in a more suitable home within the same local authority area.

I currently receive legacy benefits, ESA (Support group) and DLA

I am located in Scotland but don't think makes a difference to my question.

Am I right in thinking that it is still the case if you move within the same local authority area you can still claim housing benefit as normal and do not have to move onto universal credit?

Thanks in advance.

All the best,

Keith

I am asking more about accessing housing benefit via the local authority as opposed to being made to make a claim for Universal credit to get the housing element.

Here in Scotland they seem to be leaving at lot of us alone for the time being, I do appreciate though that just doing a change of address with the DWP may initiate them asking me to move to UC

Last time I moved, just under 3 years ago, it was quite painless, still got my housing benefit from the local authority and a 5 min call to DWP had my addressed changed.

Unfortunately though I need to move so we will just have to wait and see

OK I have just read the following in the ESA To UC - A Brief Guide To Migration (November 2021 Factsheet UC2) - On page 8

However, if your change of circumstances would not ordinarily lead to a new claim for a legacy benefit/tax credit that is being replaced by UC, then a UC claim would not be
triggered, and natural migration would not occur. For example:

• You are an irESA claimant in receipt of Housing Benefit (HB) and move to a new
property within the same local authority area. As this would not lead to a fresh claim
for HB, then a UC claim would not be triggered. Please note that a move to a
different local authority would trigger a UC claim.

This seems to answer my question.