There is no single place to tell the DWP you have moved. Each benefit is administered by a different team with its own reporting route, and updating one does not update the others. Someone receiving Universal Credit, PIP and Housing Benefit has three separate notifications to make, and one of them does not go to the DWP at all.
Reporting a move is a legal obligation rather than a courtesy. A change of address is a change of circumstances, and not reporting it can lead to overpayments you are asked to repay, a civil penalty, a suspended claim, or in serious cases a fraud investigation. None of that is discretionary, and none of it is avoided by setting up a Royal Mail redirection.
Quick answer: Universal Credit is reported through your online journal. State Pension and Pension Credit go to the Pension Service. PIP can only be reported by phone. Housing Benefit goes to your local council rather than the DWP. Timing differs by benefit: report Universal Credit changes as soon as they happen, Housing Benefit changes straight away, and State Pension only after you have moved. This guide covers Great Britain; Northern Ireland has separate services.
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Where each benefit is reported
| Benefit | Who administers it | How to report a move | Online self-service? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Credit | DWP | Your online journal, or the UC helpline | Yes |
| State Pension | The Pension Service | Phone, post, or manage your State Pension online (after you have moved) | Partly |
| Pension Credit | The Pension Service | Same team and number as State Pension | No |
| Personal Independence Payment | DWP | Phone the PIP enquiry line (Disability Service Centre) | No |
| Disability Living Allowance | Disability Service Centre | Phone | No |
| Attendance Allowance | DWP | Attendance Allowance helpline | No |
| Carer’s Allowance | Carer’s Allowance Unit | Online or by phone | Yes |
| Housing Benefit | Your local council | Council change of circumstances form | Usually yes |
| Council Tax Reduction | Your local council | Same council form | Usually yes |
The pattern worth noticing is that Universal Credit and Carer’s Allowance can be updated online, and State Pension partly; the rest need a call or a letter, which means allowing time rather than assuming it can be done in five minutes on moving evening. Gov.uk lists every route on its report a change of circumstances page.
Universal Credit and the assessment period
Report the move in your online journal as soon as it happens. Universal Credit is calculated in monthly assessment periods, and changes can affect your payment for the whole assessment period, not just from the date you report them, so a delay could mean you get too little or too much (gov.uk).
The journal is the DWP’s primary channel for Universal Credit and it creates a dated written record, which is its main advantage. If you also phone the helpline, add a journal entry afterwards summarising what you reported and when. Verbal reports are harder to evidence later if a dispute arises over an overpayment.
Rent matters as much as the address. If you are moving between rented properties, the housing element is based on your new rent and tenancy, and you will normally be asked to provide the tenancy agreement. You cannot claim housing costs for a property before the tenancy officially starts, so a claim made too early gets rejected rather than backdated.
The overlap point catches renters out. Where an old tenancy runs on for a week or two after a new one starts, Universal Credit only pays rent on two homes in limited cases, such as fleeing violence or abuse, or a new home not yet adapted for a disabled family member. Budget for that gap rather than assuming it is covered, and if the overlap is unavoidable, raise it with your work coach before the move rather than after.
Moving to a different council area can also change which local authority handles anything council-administered alongside your claim, so both councils need telling. Our guide to who to tell when you move house covers the billing side of that.
Pensions, PIP and the phone-only benefits
PIP address changes can only be made by telephone. Have your National Insurance number and claim reference ready before you call. State Pension and Pension Credit both go through the Pension Service, which also accepts written notification by post.
For a postal notification to the Pension Service, include your full name, National Insurance number, old address, new address and the date of the move, and allow several weeks for processing. Keep a copy. A Welsh-language line is available on 0800 731 0453.
If you receive PIP, contact the PIP enquiry line straight away when your address changes. An unreported move can mean the DWP cannot reach you, and that can lead to a claim being suspended.
An appointee can report the change for the person they act for, which is worth knowing for anyone helping an older relative move.
One nation-specific point: if you get PIP and move from England or Wales to Scotland, tell DWP you have moved and make a new claim for Adult Disability Payment (gov.uk). Attendance Allowance works the same way, with a new claim for Pension Age Disability Payment. If you get DLA, tell DWP and contact Social Security Scotland.
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Why Housing Benefit is different
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction are administered by your local council, not the DWP. Telling the DWP about a move does not tell the council, and if you are moving between local authority areas, both councils need to hear from you.
This is the single most common gap. People report diligently to the DWP, assume the government has been told, and only discover months later that their old council has been paying benefit on a property they left, which becomes an overpayment to repay.
- Tell the old council so the claim closes cleanly on the date you leave.
- Tell the new council. Housing Benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit, and most people will need to claim Universal Credit instead.
- Keep the tenancy agreement to hand. Both the council and Universal Credit will want it.
- If the move itself is unaffordable, in England ask your council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund about a Housing Payment; in Scotland or Wales, ask about a Discretionary Housing Payment. There is more in our guide to help with moving costs.
Anyone unsure which benefits they will still qualify for after a move should speak to Citizens Advice before moving rather than afterwards. A move can change entitlement in ways that are difficult to reverse once the claim has closed.
What happens when a move goes unreported
We looked at the consequences that follow an unreported change of address, because the risk is routinely described in vague terms and the actual sequence is worth understanding.
| Consequence | How it arises | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Missed correspondence | Letters go to the old address | Review and appointment letters unseen |
| Claim suspended | DWP cannot verify your circumstances | Payments stop until contact is re-established |
| Overpayment | Benefit paid on the wrong basis | Recoverable, usually by deduction from future payments |
| Civil penalty | Negligently failing to report | You might also have to pay a £50 penalty |
| Fraud investigation | Deliberate non-disclosure | Serious, with prosecution possible in the worst cases |
| Wrong amount paid | Reporting a Universal Credit change late | Too little or too much for the assessment period; any overpayment has to be paid back |
Two points stand out. First, most people who get into difficulty here were not trying to. They were overwhelmed by a move, assumed a redirection covered it, or believed telling one department told them all. The system does not work that way, and good intentions are not a defence against an overpayment.
Second, reporting late can cost you money as well as risk penalties. For Universal Credit, changes in your circumstances can affect how much you’re paid for your whole assessment period, not just from the date you report them. A delay could mean you get too little or too much, and you’ll have to pay back any money you’re overpaid (gov.uk). That cuts against the instinct to deal with benefits admin once the boxes are unpacked.
This is general information rather than benefits advice. Rules change and individual circumstances vary considerably, so check with the relevant office, Citizens Advice, or a welfare rights adviser about your own claim.
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When to report
Gov.uk gives different timings for different benefits. Report Universal Credit changes as soon as they happen. Tell the Pension Service about a new UK address only after you have moved (gov.uk). Report Housing Benefit changes to the council straight away; you can claim Housing Benefit in advance by up to 13 weeks (or 17 weeks if you are 60 or over), for example if you are moving (gov.uk).
And keep a record of every report: the date, the channel, and any reference number. Journal entries do this automatically. Phone calls do not, so write down who you spoke to and when.
Other addresses to update: Royal Mail redirection, the electoral roll, your GP and NHS records, your TV Licence and your driving licence.
How EcoGreen Movers fits into the week
Reporting a move properly is easier when the date is genuinely fixed, which is why a quote that holds matters more than a quote that is cheapest. EcoGreen Movers works to fixed prices and confirmed dates, so the figures you give the DWP do not change the week afterwards.
Where budget is the constraint, the level you pick is where the saving sits. Standard is the loading and unloading and assumes you pack and dismantle. Standard Plus adds the furniture, Premium adds the packing. Buying boxes from us and doing the packing keeps the total at the lower end, and if a discretionary payment or a grant is funding the move, a written fixed quote is what an application needs. Storage is quoted separately where a tenancy and a new address do not overlap.
We run residential moves across the UK, including London, Manchester and Edinburgh, with midweek and part-load options for smaller moves. Get in touch for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can I update every benefit in one place?
No. Each benefit is administered separately and needs its own notification. Universal Credit goes through your journal, State Pension and Pension Credit through the Pension Service, PIP by phone, and Housing Benefit through your local council rather than the DWP at all.
Is it a legal requirement to report a move?
Yes. A change of address is a change of circumstances and reporting it is a legal obligation. Failing to do so can result in overpayments that must be repaid, a £50 penalty, a suspended claim, or in serious cases a fraud investigation.
Will moving affect my PIP award?
Report it to the PIP enquiry line straight away. Not reporting it can lead to the claim being suspended. If you move from England or Wales to Scotland, you also need to make a new claim for Adult Disability Payment.
Does Housing Benefit transfer to a new address?
It is council-administered, so tell your council about the move straight away. Housing Benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit, and most people will need to claim Universal Credit instead, so check with the new council before you move.
Is mail redirection enough on its own?
No. Redirection is a useful safety net for everything you forget, but it does not tell any benefit office that you have moved, so it is not a substitute for reporting.
In summary: one move, several notifications
List the benefits you receive before you start, then work through them one at a time. Universal Credit in the journal, pensions to the Pension Service, PIP by phone, Housing Benefit to both councils. None of them updates any of the others.
Report each benefit at the time gov.uk gives for it (State Pension only after you have moved) rather than once you have unpacked, keep a record of each notification, and get advice before the move if you are unsure how it will affect your entitlement. Reversing a closed claim is far harder than asking the question first.
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Last reviewed: 25 October 2026