Can I claim Housing Benefit for a property after I have moved out?

When a claim can be made

If you continue to be charged rent after you move out of a property, for example, to cover a notice period, you may be able to claim Housing Benefit on the charge. Some common examples are: 

• Under the terms of the tenancy, you must give your landlord notice if you intend to move out but you had a good reason for moving before the end of the notice period

• You have been granted a tenancy for another property and need to move in as soon as the tenancy starts to claim Housing Benefit for your new home from that date. This means you cannot serve your notice period at the old address

We may be able to pay Housing Benefit on your old address for up to 4 weeks from the date you move out but only if you could not avoid the charge. If you want to claim Housing Benefit for a period after you move out, please complete our form NP1. The landlord of the address you are moving from must complete and sign part 6 of the form.

You can download the form attached to this page. The form needs to be printed and completed by hand, before being sent to us. 

You need to tell us about your move as soon as you know you are going to move. 

If you are temporarily absent from a property and intend to return to it, different rules apply. Please contact us for more details if this applies to you, (our contact details are at the top of this page).