Change of Address - Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based)Permanent Change of AddressIn the event of a change of address the customer should contact their local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office.
The customer must notify any changes in their circumstances which may affect their entitlement.
When a customer has notified this change a form COA1 will be issued to them with a form HB1/F1 to claim Housing Benefit.
The action required in respect of housing costs (rent, mortgage etc.) will depend on whether the customer rents or owns their home.
Tenants
When changing address the customer should complete form COA1 with details of their landlord/head of the household.
The customer should also report if there have been any other changes in their circumstances or those of their family e.g. starting or ceasing to live with someone as man and wife.
Home Owners
The following situations relate to a change of address which results in a change to the customer's home ownership status.
If the capital from a sale of the customer's house is earmarked for a future home purchase it is ignored for 6 months, or longer in certain circumstances.
Before deciding to purchase another property all Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) customers should seek advice from their local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office.
Customers will not usually have housing costs included in their Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) for the first 9 months.
People with a partner aged 60 or more can receive help with mortgage costs from the outset of their claim to Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based).
People whose mortgage was taken out before 2 October 1995, who claim Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based), will not have housing costs included in their Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) for the first 8 weeks. They will then receive 50% of their eligible housing costs for 18 weeks and 100% of their eligible housing costs from the 27th week of their claim. This will also apply to people taking out a mortgage on or after 2 October 1995 who are carers not required to be available for employment, in custody pending trial or sentence, have been refused payment under a mortgage payment protection policy because of a pre-existing medical condition or HIV, or lone parents who have claimed due to the death of, or being abandoned by, a partner, and where the assessment unit includes a child.
The length of time a customer has been continuously receiving Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance will count towards the waiting period if they take on a new eligible loan.
The upper limit amount for a loan that housing costs can be calculated on is £100,000.
Customers who increase their eligible housing costs have the amount allowed within their applicable amount restricted.
This change affects any increase in housing costs during the relevant period.
The relevant period is defined as:
when a person is entitled to Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based); or
when a person is living as a member of a family, one of whom receives Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based); or
between two such periods of entitlement, and any breaks that do not exceed 26 weeks, count as one relevant period.
The restrictions on increases to housing costs may not apply if the change of address was necessary to:
buy alternative accommodation more suited for a disabled person; or
to provide separate sleeping accommodation for children of different sexes aged 10 or over.
Responsible for housing costs on two homes
If a customer is responsible for housing costs for two (but not more than two) homes, they can receive help for both homes for as long as necessary where:
they had to leave their home, and remain absent from it, through fear of violence;
they are a member of a couple and the customer or their partner is a student or is on a training course and it is unavoidable that they live in two separate homes;
they have moved into a new home, and they have unavoidable housing costs for both their old and new homes, the customer can receive help with those costs for up to four benefit weeks only.
Newly purchased property
If the customer has sold their previous home and will be mortgaging their new property full details should be supplied relating to:
the proceeds received from the sale of their old property; and
the mortgage agreement for their new property and details of the income on which the mortgage was allowed.
Before deciding to purchase another property all Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) customers should seek advice from their local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office because of changes to the legislation covering help with housing costs for owner-occupiers.
New borrowers will not have housing costs included in their Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) for the first 9 months of their claim.
People with a partner aged 60 or more can receive help with mortgage costs from the outset of their claim to Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based).
People who took out a mortgage before 2 October 1995, who claim Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based), will not have housing costs included in their Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) for the first 8 weeks. They will then receive 50% of their eligible housing costs for 18 weeks and 100% of their eligible housing costs from the 27th week of their claim. This will also apply to people taking out a mortgage on or after 2 October 1995 who are carers not required to be available for employment, in custody pending trial or sentence, have been refused payment under a mortgage payment protection policy because of a pre-existing medical condition or HIV, or lone parents who have claimed due to the death of, or being abandoned by, a partner, and where the assessment unit includes a child.
The length of time a customer has been continuously receiving Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance will count towards the waiting period if they take on a new eligible loan.
Customers who increase their eligible housing costs have the amount allowed within their applicable amount restricted.
This change affects any increase in housing costs during the relevant period.
The relevant period is defined as:
when a person is entitled to Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based); or
when a person is living as a member of a family, one of whom receives Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based); or
between two such periods of entitlement, and any breaks that do not exceed 26 weeks, count as one relevant period.
The restrictions on increases to housing costs may not apply if the change of address was necessary to:
buy alternative accommodation more suited to the special needs of a disabled person; or
to provide separate sleeping accommodation for children of different sexes aged 10 or over.
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