ESA, Housing Benefit, and moving home when the Council has changed

Hello.

I receive ESA Support Group (thanks to your excellent guides!) and Housing Benefit (HB). I have been served a Section 21 No-Fault Eviction Notice and have five weeks left of that notice. Rents have increased vastly since my last move over eight years ago and I have not yet found a new home to move into.

My understanding of current benefits laws is that if I move OUTSIDE of the area that pays me my HB I will lose “transitional protection”, and my ESA will cease, I will have to make a new claim for UC, and so be entitled to zero income for five long weeks. However if I move WITHIN the area of the council who awards my HB, my claim will stay as ESA plus HB.

BUT the Council has changed. When I moved here I received HB from Mendip District Council. But this was changed in the last year or so, and Mendip DC no longer exists. I now receive my HB from Somerset Council, which includes the old Mendip DC area, plus a couple of other now defunct district council area.
Does this mean that I can now move anywhere covered by Somerset Council? Or am I still limited to the area the old Mendip DC used to cover please? If I can move anywhere in Somerset Council area it will much expand the options open to me.

My apologies if this is not really a topic you normally advise on, but my only alternative is to ask the DWP…..

Pity. My mental health will stop me attempting to telephone DWP - I simply can't cope with the anxiety. And I am scared to email them. Looks like I'm going to be on the streets soon unless something turns up.

Disappointed at your reply. It IS a benefits issue.