Housing Benefit - Rules when moving home

Do you have to pay rent on two properties?
Housing Benefit is only paid for the property you are living in. However, you may be able to have your rent paid on two properties in certain cases.

Overlapping Benefit?
You may be entitled to Housing Benefit, for a maximum of four weeks, on a property you have vacated if:

• Your landlord is still charging you rent
• You have moved to a new permanent home and
• You can prove it was unavoidable to pay rent on both homes

Benefit for a period before moving in?
(also known as benefit prior to occupation)

If you have to pay rent for your home from the date your tenancy starts to the date you moved in, you may qualify for Benefit prior to occupation in certain ciurcumstances, please contact the Benefits Section for further information.

To qualify you must apply to the Benefit Section before you move into the property.

Downloads:

File format	File title	File size / Download time
	Checklist for people who may need to move home	28K 56Kbps Modem: 4 Seconds Broadband: 1 Second