Universal Credit and Housing Benefit

tumbleweed

Hi,

Sorry if this is abrupt, I am not feeling well.

I would like to know if you can stop a claim for Universal Credit and claim Housing Benefit if you move from a full UC area to a non-UC area.

We ahve disability and are much worse off under UC. We have not yet made a claim.

Thank you in advance

Sam_Alumni

Hi @tumbleweed welcome to the community - I'm not sure of the answer to your question, but hopefully the benefits advisors will be along soon.

There is information about Universal Credit here and you can also try the benefits calculator here.

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi tumbleweed,

Yes, if you move from a full service area to a gateway area, you can do this. Please check the postcode of your new address before you do this, to make sure disabled people don't meet the 'gateway' conditions in your new home.

Secondly, when you stop the UC claim, make sure you stop it at the beginning of your assessment period (you should have an assessment period of one calendar month which is stated on your online account). If you stop it part-way through the assessment period you will get NO money for the whole of that assessment period from UC.

Make sure you are very clear about stopping UC: I'd advise doing it online, on the helpline AND in writing to make sure!

Claim Housing Benefit and any other benefits you need as soon as possible after withdrawing from UC. For example you may need to claim income-related ESA or Income Support, and if you have children, Child Tax Credit.

Hope this helps.

Will

tumbleweed

Thanks ever so much Will. I really approciate your help with this.

We've just moved and I wasn;t able to keep up with the UC roll out what with being unwell and didnt know it was planned here so soon. V bad timing. Would have not moved here had I known, but being ill means you can;t do everything.

When I found out, I was petrified we'd be locked into it forever more no matter where we lived.

At least we know that we have the possibility of making a choice now