Moving home can be expensive, especially if you have a lot of furniture and possessions you want to take.
There are many different options to get help with moving home if you are claiming benefits, are elderly or disabled. These range include both practical assistance and financial help. Options to assist with moving costs include Discretionary Housing Payments, Short-Term Benefit Advances and government schemes along with fund granted by non-profit organisations like charities and trusts.
Discretionary Housing Payments, sometimes called DHP for short, are designed to financially support people on a low income who receive housing benefit and need assistance with the cost of moving home. At present, a set amount for a Discretionary Housing Payment doesn’t exist. Instead, it is up to the local council to decide whether the support is awarded, how much a person will receive and how long for. The financial aid for moving house can be provided as a single lump sum or in multiple payments for a set or open-ended term.
If you currently live in either England or Wales and are receiving Housing Benefit, you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help with the costs associated with moving home. If you are a resident of Scotland, you might also qualify to receive a DHP if you are renting your home and get either Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. A Discretionary Housing Payment does not need to be paid back.
A Short-Term Benefit Advance is another form of assistance for moving home, but unlike a DHP it must be repaid. Those who need to move house but are waiting for their initial benefit payment and urgently need access to money can apply for this short-term solution. No interest accumulates on the advance, but money is subtracted from benefit payments each week until the total sum has been paid back, so those applying should be mindful if they can live on reduced amounts.
People who have recently applied for State Pension, Pension Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit, and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) can all request a Short-Term Benefit Advance (STBA). Those who qualify for the advance typically receive their payment swiftly, either on the same day or on the next working day.
There are other ways that the government or local authority may be able to help people with the expense of moving house. However, the help they receive can depend on their personal circumstances and the place where they live. It is worth remembering that supportive schemes supplied by the government and local councils are not only for those who need financial help with moving home – any person on a low income that has emergency or unexpected costs is entitled to apply for aid.
Available government schemes in the UK include the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme in England and Scotland and the Discretionary Assistance Fund in Wales.
Here in the UK, there are several charitable organisations, trusts and benevolent funds that offer a wide range of different forms of help for people struggling with the costs of moving house who can’t access support elsewhere. It is worth noting, however, that charities and trusts often have specific criteria that must be met before they will supply financial assistance. For example, to qualify applicants may need to live in a particular part of the country, be of a certain background or be part of a specified age group.
What is the quickest way to find out if you can qualify for financial support towards the cost of moving home?
With a wide range of support available, applying to each option can be a time-consuming task. To get an overview of the types of financial assistance for moving available for your specific circumstances, getting touch with the Citizen’s Advice is a smart move.
Even if you don’t qualify for assistance for moving, there are ways to reduce the cost of moving. If you have belongings you don’t need, you could choose to sell them on eBay, Facebook or a local car boot sale and put the proceeds towards the cost of moving.
Book the cheapest day to move
Fridays in summer are the most popular days to move, but you may get a cheaper removal service quote for a Sunday, which is considered the least popular moving day.
You can save money by finding free packing boxes. Local shops, supermarkets and cafés often have spare empty cardboard boxes which they will be happy to give you without charge.
At Merseyside Movers & Storers, we provide transparent and competitive quotes to help you budget for house removals in the Liverpool area.
