Help with moving costs on a low income

Moving home on a low income is rarely a free choice. It may follow a no-fault eviction, overcrowding, damp, a relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, a job in another town or an offer of social housing that finally came through. Whatever the reason, the money is needed upfront and often all at once: a van, rent in advance, overlapping rent, cleaning and basic furniture for the new place.

This guide brings together everything useful for a move in the United Kingdom: who to contact first, which official schemes and charities can pay, how to keep the cost down, how your benefits are affected and, only at the end, how to borrow safely if you must. Deposits have their own page: see help with a rental deposit.

If you are being asked to leave: contact the council early

If you have been asked to leave, or you cannot stay safely, speak to your local council's housing options or homelessness team as early as possible. In England, councils have a legal duty to try to prevent homelessness for people threatened with losing their home within 56 days, and similar duties exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Do not wait until bailiffs are booked.

Early contact can lead to help with a deposit or rent in advance, negotiation with your landlord, or a referral to a support service. Bring your tenancy agreement, any notice you have received, proof of income and identification. Our page on preventing eviction explains your rights before you agree to leave. If you are fleeing domestic abuse, tell the council straight away: you do not have to stay somewhere unsafe while help is arranged.

Work out the full cost before you commit

A short list on paper helps you see what you actually need to find:

• rent in advance and any holding deposit;
• overlap between the old and new tenancy if notice periods do not line up;
• transport: van hire, fuel, or a removal firm;
• cleaning the old property to protect your deposit;
• essentials for the new home, such as a cooker, beds or curtains;
• reconnection or set-up charges for broadband and energy;
• time off work and any childcare on moving day.

Check the new rent against your housing support before signing. If it is above the Local Housing Allowance rate for your area, you could face a shortfall every month; our page on help with monthly rent explains how that works.

Official help with moving costs

Discretionary Housing Payments

If you receive Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit, you can ask your council for a Discretionary Housing Payment. As well as topping up rent, councils can use these payments for a deposit, rent in advance or, in some areas, removal costs when a move makes your housing more affordable or suitable. Funds are limited and decisions are discretionary, so explain clearly why the move is needed and what it will change.

Universal Credit Budgeting Advance

An interest-free advance, repaid from future payments, for one-off costs. If you have been receiving Universal Credit for a while and meet the conditions, ask through your journal whether it can cover removal costs or rent in advance. Pension Credit claimants may be able to ask for a Budgeting Loan instead.

Two homes at once

In some situations, such as fleeing violence or waiting for adaptations to a new home, Universal Credit or Housing Benefit can cover housing costs on two homes for a limited period. Ask your work coach or the council.

Local welfare and crisis funds

A move often means starting with almost nothing. In England, councils run local welfare assistance schemes with different names and rules, often giving vouchers or second-hand furniture rather than cash. In Scotland, Community Care Grants from the Scottish Welfare Fund help people set up home, for example after leaving care, prison, hospital or homelessness. In Wales, the Discretionary Assistance Fund can help with Individual Assistance Payments. In Northern Ireland, Discretionary Support can be a grant or an interest-free loan. See also our page on help with essential furniture.

Other support worth asking about

• Social housing moves. If your landlord is a council or housing association and has asked you to move, for example for repairs or redevelopment, ask whether disturbance or home-loss payments apply.
• Job moves. If you are moving for work, ask your work coach whether a flexible support fund can help with costs, and ask the new employer about relocation help.
• Charities. Domestic abuse services, care leaver teams, armed forces charities and local trusts can sometimes pay for removals or set-up costs, usually through a support worker's referral.
• Furniture reuse projects. Many offer low-cost collection and delivery as well as second-hand furniture and appliances.

Cutting the cost of the move itself

• Get at least three quotes, and ask about midweek or off-peak rates.
• Hire a small van by the hour and ask friends to help rather than booking a full removal service.
• Collect free boxes from supermarkets or local sharing groups.
• Sell or give away what you do not need before the move, so there is less to carry.
• Clean the old home thoroughly and take dated photos to protect your deposit.
• Take meter readings on both properties on moving day.

Moving with children or a health condition

If you have children, contact the new area's school admissions team as soon as you have an address; families moving in an emergency can usually apply for a place mid-year. Check whether free school meals and any uniform grant carry over or need a new application with the new council. If someone in the household has a disability or long-term condition, ask the new council's adult social care team for an assessment before you move, so that equipment or adaptations are ready. Register with a new GP promptly and order repeat prescriptions in advance, so that a gap in medication does not add to the stress of the move.

Keep your benefits on track

Report the new address and rent to Universal Credit through your journal straight away, and tell the council if you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction. Delays can leave you without housing support in the first month, which is exactly when money is tightest. Check whether the new council has a different Council Tax Reduction scheme, and update your bank, GP, school and energy accounts.

Borrowing as a last resort

If grants and benefit help do not cover the gap, compare the least expensive options first: an interest-free advance, a credit union loan at capped interest, or a written agreement with family. Look at the APR and the total amount repayable, and make sure the repayments still fit once you are paying the new rent. Our page on small loans for low-income households sets out what to compare.

Be very cautious about high-cost short-term loans for a move: a missed payment in the first weeks of a new tenancy can quickly snowball. Beware of fake landlords and letting agents who ask for a deposit or "holding fee" before you have viewed a property, and of lenders who ask for an upfront fee or contact you first on social media. Check that any lender is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and get free debt advice if existing debts are part of the reason you are moving.