Smart Move Scheme

Smart Move scheme is for under occuppying social tenants

If you are a council or housing association tenant with one or more bedrooms than you need, a more comfortable, smaller, cheaper home could be yours...

Why move? Perhaps...

smart move

You are affected by welfare reform and have had your housing benefit reduced
Your children have grown up and left home
Your heating bills have gone up and you are finding it harder to heat your home
You are finding the stairs difficult
You would like to move nearer to family or friends

What you can get...

Band 1 priority to choose your new smaller home
An incentive payment of £1000 for each bedroom is available to Council tenants. If you are a housing associaiton tenant you may wish to discuss with your landlord as to whether you can recieve payment through their own internal scheme you are giving up (note; this will be paid into your rent account if you have arrears)
A moving allowance to help with the connection of utilities.
Households above pension credit age can still hold onto an additional bedroom, so if you are moving from a three to a one bed need you can still apply for a two bed home. Those below pension credit age can only access a property that meets your needs following changes to housing benefit rules.