Lewisham Council Tax When Moving House or Changing Address

Notifying Lewisham When You Move

If you receive CTR, Lewisham's scheme requires you to report address moves within 21 days. The dates matter because a move can affect which council bills you and how CTR is assessed.

Report the move using Lewisham's online change-of-address form. If you also receive CTR, report the move separately through the benefits change-of-circumstances service. You'll need your council tax account number, the exact date you moved (or will move), and your new address.

Do this as soon as possible. If you delay and overpay because the council doesn't know you've left, getting a refund adds unnecessary waiting time. If you delay and underpay because the council doesn't know you've arrived, you'll face a catch-up bill.

Moving Within Lewisham

If you're moving from one Lewisham property to another, you'll close the account on the old address and open one on the new. Your CTR award is tied to the old address and does not automatically transfer; report the move and apply for CTR at the new address.

Apply for CTR again at the new address immediately. The standard start date is the Monday after you apply. If you become liable for council tax and apply within that same benefit week (Monday to Sunday), the claim starts from the date you became liable and occupied the property. If you wait weeks to reapply, you may have a gap before the claim starts.

The good news: your evidence (payslips, bank statements, UC statement) is often already on file from the previous claim. The council may be able to process the new claim faster because they've already verified your income and identity. But don't assume it'll happen automatically — submit a fresh application through the BetterOff portal.

Your property band may also change. A different address means a different valuation band, which changes your gross liability and the amount CTR covers. Check the band of your new property at gov.uk/council-tax-bands before you move.

Moving Into Lewisham from Another Borough

If you're arriving from another London borough or anywhere else in England, you need to:

1. Close your account with your previous council — tell them when your tenancy ends or the property is sold; liability may continue beyond the day you physically move out
2. Register with Lewisham — report your new address through the online portal
3. Apply for CTR in Lewisham — your old borough's CTR award doesn't transfer; every council runs its own scheme with its own rules

Lewisham's scheme has specific features that differ from neighbouring boroughs: the 75% maximum award (not all councils cap at this level), the 25% minimum payment, and the BetterOff portal for applications. Don't assume the rules are the same as where you came from.

Apply for CTR on your first day at the new address. The standard start date is the Monday after you apply, but if you become liable and apply within that same benefit week (Monday to Sunday), the claim starts from the date you became liable and occupied the property.

Moving Out of Lewisham

When you leave the borough:

1. Tell Lewisham when your tenancy ends or the property is sold — council tax liability usually continues until then, not simply until the day you physically move out
2. Check for overpayment — if you've paid instalments beyond the date your liability ended, ask the council to recalculate your account
3. Your CTR ends at the old address — the award is tied to your council tax liability there
4. Apply for CTR at your new council — if you're eligible under their local scheme

If your Lewisham account has a credit balance after you move, contact the council to ask whether it will be refunded or can be transferred to a new account. Keep a record of your request.

Overlapping Liability

If you're between properties — you've signed a lease on a new place but haven't fully moved out of the old one — you could be liable for council tax on both properties for the overlap period. This catches people during phased moves.

For a tenant, Lewisham says council tax liability continues until the tenancy ends; for an owner, it continues until the property is sold. If those dates overlap with your new liability, you may have to pay council tax on both properties. Keep your tenancy or ownership documents and ask the council to confirm the dates.

If dual liability creates hardship, apply to the Crisis and Resilience Fund for discretionary relief on the overlap period.

Reporting Changes to Universal Credit Too

If you're on UC, reporting your address change to the DWP through your UC journal does not notify Lewisham's council tax team. These are separate systems. You need to tell both:

• DWP via your UC journal (affects your UC housing element)
• Lewisham Council's change-of-address form (updates your council tax account)
• Lewisham's benefits change-of-circumstances service (updates your CTR claim)

Missing either one creates problems — wrong housing costs on UC, or a CTR award running on the wrong address.

For a step-by-step guide to every change you need to report and how it affects your Lewisham Council Tax Reduction, the Lewisham Council Tax Reduction guide covers the complete process.

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