If you find you have to pay rent on two properties at the same time you may be able to get Housing Benefit for both.
If you've taken the tenancy of a new property, but not yet moved out of your old house
You may be eligible for Housing Benefit on both properties if you are already receiving Housing Benefit but have not moved in yet because you are waiting for the building to be adapted because you (or a member of your family) is disabled.
If you are not already receiving Housing Benefit, and cannot move in to your new home straight away, you may be able to claim benefit before you move in if:- the reason you did not move in was because the building was being adapted because you (or a member of your family) is disabled; and the delay in moving in was reasonable; or
- you are disabled, a pensioner, or have a child aged less than six and you were waiting for a Social Fund Loan from the Benefits Agency; or
- you were previously an in-patient in hospital or living in a residential care home.
If you've moved into a new house, but still have to pay rent on your old address
If you've moved out of a house into another rented property before the notice period has ended on the first house, you may be able to claim Housing Benefit for both properties.
The need for you to pay rent on two properties must be unavoidable. If you knew you were going to be moving out but did not tell your landlord in time, then the overlap of the tenancies could have been avoided.
You may be able to claim Housing Benefit for both properties for a maximum of four weeks, or until your old landlord rents your old property to a new tenant, whichever is the shorter.
Some reasons why you may need benefit on two homes, sometimes for longer than four weeks include:
- if you have to leave your normal home through fear of violence
- if your family is so large that we have arranged for you to live in two houses
- if you have a partner and one of you is a student who is studying away from your normal home and needs to claim benefit elsewhere