Before you move home, notify your existing benefit departments of your future change of address. You should have contact details and reference numbers on letters you have received.

Use Directgov to find contact details for:

• Child Benefit – report a change in circumstances online
• Jobcentre Plus 
• Pension's Service
• Tax credit helpline.

You'll need to tell your local council's housing benefit and/or council tax benefit departments too if you claim these benefits. Use Directgov's council finder to find their address.

• It may help you plan a move if you get an overview of your budget. Get started with our budget calculator.
• If you've got money worries, find out about dealing with debt.
• You don't have to face money trouble on your own – find out where to get help with debts.

Contact a local Family Information Service to find details of childcare in your new area.

If private renting is not looking like an affordable long term option, could you think about applying for council housing in your area or elsewhere?

In many areas, the demand for council housing is so great that you are unlikely to get housed, so you may need to consider moving to an area where council housing or housing association property is more available. Get advice from your local council’s housing options service – use our directory to find one.

You’ll need to remember who to notify about your change of address and get access to your post after you’ve left.

• Download our change of address checklist
• Use the Royal Mail redirection service (for a fee) to have your letters redirected to your new home.

If you or a family member have disabilities that require special housing or adaptations:

• your local council housing options service may be able to help you find suitable alternative accommodation
• the council’s homelessness service may have a duty to house you if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness
• you may be able to claim a discretionary housing payment to help you stay in your current accommodation while a long term solution to your housing needs is found
• you may be able to get help with adapting accommodation to suit your needs, even for a rented place.

If you move home to a new area, you may need to consider transferring or obtaining social services or education service support, for example, for:

• day care for adults with learning disabilities
• support services for adults with disabilities
• education for children with special needs.

It’s important that you seek independent advice from a Shelter service, Citizen’s Advice Bureau or similar service – use our directory to find one.

You may have a choice of councils you can apply to for help with housing if you have close family who have lived in an area for long enough. Consider if you have a local connection with different areas if:

• you are homeless and thinking of applying for help from a council’s homelessness department
• applying to go on a council’s waiting list for housing.

Use the NHS Choices services directories to find services you may need in another area, including:

• GPs
• dentists
• opticians
• support services for carers.

The NHS Choices website also tells you how to register with a new GP.

• If you have rent arrears and are threatened with homelessness get help from your local council.
• If you are homeless and seeking help from a council, consider if you have a local connection with different areas because of a family connection.

If you are taking on a new tenancy in the private rented sector, the amount of housing benefit in each area will be limited – rules for local housing allowance will apply.

Use the LHA Direct website to find out the maximum amount allowed in different areas.

Find out more from Shelter online on:

• claiming housing benefit
• housing benefit when moving out
• housing benefit before moving in to a new home
• housing benefit on two homes.

You can use the LHA Direct website to find areas that may be more affordable for you to rent in. Before visiting or looking for accommodation, you may want to find out more about what’s it’s like to live in an area. Other options include:

• Directgov’s connect to your council service – you can choose a service you are interested in and use their search to compare facilities in different areas
• local community websites – find one using the local council website for the area or use an online search
• BBC local news, local papers and local radio.

• Check your maximum housing benefit entitlement in a new area using the LHA Direct website.
• Check the energy perfomance certificate of homes you view to rent – it’s no good saving on rent if you can’t afford the heating.
• Think about other ways you can reduce your costs before and after moving.

Removal costs – if you claim benefits including income support or income based jobseeker’s allowance, or are otherwise in severe hardship, you may be able to get financial help with removal costs from:

• a discretionary housing payment from your council
• the social fund – if you claim  income support or income based jobseeker’s allowance, you may be able to claim a community care grant, budgeting loan or crisis loan
• charities or social services.

You won't be able to get a community care grant or crisis loan to help with removal costs if you are being permantly rehoused after applying to your council as homeless, but your council may help you with the costs instead.

Social fund applications can take some time to process – a local advice agency should be able to tell you about how applications are being dealt with in your area and may be able to help you with the forms. This may help speed things up.

Ask an independent advice centre such as a Citizen’s Advice Bureau to help with making these applications and getting further advice – use our directory to find one.

Furniture costs – if you don’t already have furniture of your own, you may prefer to rent  furnished accommodation rather than pay out for expensive items.

If you rent an unfurnished place, you may be able to:

• get help from a Furniture Re-Use Network furniture recycling project
• apply to the social fund for a grant or loan to help with the cost of furniture and other essentials if you claim certain benefits.

Utilities – it’s always good practice to make sure your gas and electricity meters are read so you are billed accurately but particularly important before a move. If you are billed correctly, you can start paying off any arrears, and apply for cheaper tariffs to help with fuel debts before you move. 

Many local support services for children, parents and carers provide free services that are open to everyone with a child – they can be a good starting point for helping you settle into a new area or into a new role as a parent.

• Sure Start children's services bring together health visitor services with play and social opportunities. Find your local Sure Start centre using the Directgov Children’s Centre Finder.
• Home-Start provides support for families under stress, where the family has at least one child under 5.
• Family information services – for activities for young children, playgroups, nurseries, schools, childcare
• National Childbirth Trust (NCT) has branches in many areas offering social opportunities, pre-natal support and support for parents with babies and young children.

Your local council may be able to help you with the cost of a rent deposit through a rent deposit or bond scheme.

If you are claiming certain benefits, you may be able to get a budgeting loan from the social fund to help you pay the costs of rent in advance.

• Find schools using the Directgov School’s Finder.
• Check local council websites for help with the cost of travel if your children can’t change school straight away.

If you have to move to a different area, consider your support networks. Can you move nearer to friends or family?

If you have to move to an area where you don’t yet have friends or support, you could get information, help or support from:

• your local library or community centre
• your local council’s website - for information on local services

• Use the Helpline Association’s telephone helpline directory to find support services on a range of topics – many services are free to call using mobiles.
• Use the NHS Choices service directories to find a range of health and support services.