Universal Credit can help you to pay rent on 2 different homes, but only if
- you are a large family living in two homes, or
- you're renting a 2nd home because of domestic violence and plan to move back to your original home
Large family living in 2 homes
You can get help with rent on 2 homes, if
- you rent from the Housing Executive or a housing association, and
- the landlord gave you 2 homes because there are so many children or young people in your household
Not ready to go back to your own home because of a fear of violence
You can get help with the rent on 2 homes for up to 12 months if
- You've moved out of your normal home to live somewhere else and
- You plan to return to your home, but
- You can't return yet because there's a risk that someone living in that home or a former partner will be violent towards you or a child or young person who lives with you.
Can Universal Credit pay 2 rents in any other cases?
No, Universal Credit will only pay for 2 rents in the cases above.
This is a change from the Housing Benefit rules, where you could get help with 2 rents for 4 weeks if you had to move house.
Can Universal Credit pay your rent before you move into a property?
Universal Credit will usually only help with rent after you've moved into a property. But, Universal Credit can pay rent on a home before you move into it if your move was delayed because
- your new home needs adaptations before you can move in, or
- you couldn't move in when you were supposed to because you were in hospital.
Get advice if you have questions about Universal Credit or paying your rent.
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