How would my benefits be affected?

MJ3437

I need advice on how my benefits would be affected if I move home, either within the area and out of area, I am ESA, support group, enhanced PIP for mental illness and standard PIP for physical disibility

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

Do you live alone and claim the severe disability premium either in with your ESA or in with your housing benefit?

Adrian_Scope

Hi @MJ3437 and welcome to the community!
If you're able to answer Poppy's questions, this'll help us support you a bit better.

BenefitsTrainingCo

MJ3437,

HI there, as Adrian said we really need to know the answers to Poppy's questions - if you live alone, and whether anyone gets carer's allowance or the carer's element of universal credit because they care for you.

If you meet those conditions, you could be getting something called the severe disability premium (SDP), included in income-related employment and support allowance and in your housing benefit, if you get either of those benefits. 

If you are NOT getting a severe disability premium (for example, because you don't live alone, and the other people you live with don't get disability benefits), then moving is risky as you may have to claim UC.

On the other hand, if you move and once you move, you are living alone & no one gets carer's allowance or the carer element of UC for you, then you could possibly get the SDP added to your ESA, and then you'd be able to claim housing benefit for your new home.

You can also claim housing benefit without any problems (whether or not you get an SDP) in certain types of supported accommodation. Also, if you move within the local authority area and you are already getting housing benefit from them, you can continue getting it for a new rental property & none of your other benefits need to change either. You would just need to let housing benefit know about your new address and rental liability. 

Your PIP won't be affected by the move, and any contributory benefits you get won't be affected.

So as you can see the picture is complicated. Can you tell us:

who you live with, if anyone, & what benefits they are on, if any? Tell us who these people are eg partner/relative/joint tenant
does anyone get carer's allowance or carer element of UC for you?
do you already get housing benefit?
when you move, will you be living alone, or with other people? If it's with other people, who are they, and will they also be on PIP daily living/DLA middle or higher rate care?

Do you know if the benefits you're getting include any income-related ESA & if so can you see whether your award includes the SDP (it is worth £65.80 a week for a single person or £131.70 for a couple who both meet the conditions).

What sort of accommodation might you be moving to? Is it rented? If so, is it likely to be supported accommodation provided by an organisation like a charity or housing association? Will it be in the same local authority area (I realise you may not know this yet).

Sorry for all the questions! Someone will be able to help if they know a bit more.

Will