Housing benefit when moving out
This content applies to England only.
Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland
Your entitlement to housing benefit usually stops when you move out of your home. If you have to move out immediately, but haven’t yet given your landlord notice you are leaving, it may sometimes be possible to get housing benefit for up to four weeks after you move out.
Who should I tell?
You are not usually entitled to housing benefit for a place you are not living in, so if you are moving:
• give your landlord notice and
• tell the housing benefit department.
Make sure you don’t have to pay more rent than you have to. You’ll have to pay rent to the landlord until you have ended your tenancy properly. If you don’t get housing benefit to cover the missing period, you could find yourself in debt.
If you are overpaid housing benefit because you don’t tell the council about your move on time, you are likely to have to repay the extra benefit.
Paying rent on two homes
If you are planning to move to another rented home, if possible plan things so that you don’t have to pay out on two places at the same time. Try to arrange things so that your old tenancy ends as your new one begins. If you can’t avoid having a period where you have to pay rent for both homes, you may be able to get housing benefit for two homes.
No rent to pay on your next place
If you have moved to a place where you do not have to pay rent, but you will still have to pay rent on your old home, you may be able to get housing benefit paid for up to four weeks.
You will have to show that you could not avoid having to pay rent after you moved out – for example, you could not have known that you had to move and therefore couldn't have given your landlord notice before you moved out.
Circumstances when this may apply could include if:
- you were taken into hospital or residential care permanently
- you went to stay with relatives because you are frail or elderly and won’t be able to return home
- you have been sent to prison and will not released within 13 weeks – but check to see if there are ways you can keep your home.
Share your story
Our housing crisis is affecting millions of people across the country. The most effective way for Shelter to show just how bad things have got and how much needs to be done is by highlighting the real-life experiences of people around the country.
If you have had a bad housing experience you can help Shelter by sharing your story with us 
