When you move, you change your address – simple right? While it might occur to you straight away to inform your employer and your bank, what about your TV license? Or changing your Will? And if you get your council tax sorted, is your national insurance also sorted automatically? Does that also mean you’ll be getting a polling card at the correct address next time it comes to voting in an election? And that Royal Mail redirection service? Is it free? Luckily, Reliable’s change of address checklist has all the answers.
We know it can be a bit of a chore to make sure everyone is fully informed of your new address, but the consequences of neglecting this chore go beyond missing out on reading your mail. If your personal details fall into the wrong hands, you may fall victim to fraud, and in certain circumstances, if you fail to inform the DVLA, DWP or UK Visas & Immigration, you could be liable for a hefty fine.
Reliable has gathered all that elusive info and put it in one handy changing address checklist, so you don’t have to go trawling around the internet to find it. We’ve broken it down into handy sections and included a Reliable Change of Address Checklist PDF for you to download and print.
Employer, Friends and Family
We’ll start with the easy ones first – easy to remember and easy to do!
- Employer – This may require a letter or email, or there may be a change of address section in your payslip that can be completed and returned.
- Friends and Family – It’s up to you, but a card or an email will do the job better than word of mouth. Be wary of giving away address details on social media.
Post Office change of address
It’s not free, but Royal Mail’s redirection service will provide a good backstop for any mail still addressed to your previous location. The cost is £33.99 per person – get the names and birthdates of those whose mail will be redirected, along with the address and postcode of your old and new residence and apply online. Simple.
https://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redirection
Government & You
The government wants to know where you live – mainly so they can tax you! But on the bright side, being on the radar also allows you to have your say at the ballot box…
- Electoral Roll – If your address has changed and you need to update your details on the electoral roll, you’ll need to re-register at your new address. https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- Council Tax – This is managed by the individual local authority raising the tax, so you will have to visit the appropriate government site in order to inform them of any changes to your address. You can identify your local council by entering your postcode on this page https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council once you click through to your local council website, ‘Council Tax’ should feature prominently as a menu option on the landing page.
- Inland Revenue – It’s essential that you inform HM Revenue & Customs of your new address so that your tax affairs can be kept accurate and up to date. You can log in to the Government Gateway (or create a log in if you need to) here to change your address with HMRC – https://www.gov.uk/tell-hmrc-change-address – make sure you have your NI number and new address and postcode handy.
- National Insurance – Once you inform HMRC of your change of address, your National Insurance should be taken care of. While your employer will record your new address in their documentation regarding National Insurance, it’s best to amend your address with HMRC yourself.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/change-your-personal-details
- State Pension – if you are the recipient of a state pension, you can contact the Pension service here to inform them of your new address. https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service
- Premium Bonds – Holders of Premium Bonds, Fixed Rate Bonds, Junior ISAs and other National Savings & Investments products will need to register their change of address with the NS&I: https://www.nsandi.com/how-do-i-change-my-address-and-other-details
- DWP – If you are the recipient of any state benefits, you will have to inform the DWP of any change of address. The circumstances of where you’re living have a bearing on your entitlements, so it’s important to keep your details accurate and up to date to ensure continuity of payments, and to avoid any penalties for providing false information. You can find details of how to amend them here: https://www.gov.uk/report-benefits-change-circumstances
- Foreign Nationals – If you are a non-EU resident and hold biometric residence permit or visa, you’ll need to report any change of circumstances or face a substantial fine. For information, visit the government’s website here: https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp
Motoring
- Driving License – The last thing you want is to be charged for driving without a valid license, so when you move, changing the address on your driving license is crucial. You can find details on changing address with the DVLA here: https://www.gov.uk/tell-dvla-changed-address
- Vehicle log book (V5C) Unfortunately, changing the address on a V5 is one of the tasks that you can’t complete online as it involves physically posting the log book to the DVLA. Details of what to do can be found here. It’s an important step for any motorist moving home as failure to complete it can lead to a heavy fine. https://www.gov.uk/change-name-address-v5c
- Insurance provider – if the address on your car insurance is incorrect, your policy will be invalid. Not only does that mean that your policy will not pay out in the event of an accident, but you will be committing the offence of driving without insurance which carries a fixed penalty of 6 points and a £300 fine. Remember to also update the details for any separate breakdown cover you may have.
Utilities
Remember to take meter readings at the home you are leaving and at the one you are moving into. A quick snap of the meter with a digital camera or smartphone with a date stamp is a quick and easy way of recording the reading.
If you are satisfied with the price and service offered by your current providers, then they will be more than happy for you to remain a customer as you move. Simply call the customer service line with the details of your new residence and they will most likely handle the red tape for you. However, you should certainly take the opportunity to shop around to discover whether you can get a better deal with a competitor.
Providers you’ll needs to contact will include:
- Gas
- Water
- Electricity
- Any other regular services utility such as gas delivery or septic tank servicing
Media providers
- TV – Most providers will fall over themselves to retain you as a customer when you move, so give them a call with your moving date and new postcode to hand, and they should make life easy for you. As with utilities, you might want to reconsider your provider at this juncture though.
- Broadband – as above. If you are cancelling the broadband at your old place, bear in mind that some providers require 30 days notice.
- TV License – you will have to inform TV Licensing of your move but it’s free and easy to do here https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/update/your-licence/index.app
Health
Depending on how far you are moving, you may only have to inform your existing doctor, dentist etc. of your new address, or you may be looking to register with new ones. If registering with new healthcare providers, you will need to ensure that your existing records are transferred. Either way, changing your address with the NHS should be on your checklist.
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Any other healthcare services such as optician, counsellor, orthodontist, chiropractor, chiropodist
- Veterinarian
E-commerce
You don’t want your transactions to be declined due to mismatching billing and shipping addresses, or worse, your purchases turning up at your previous address. Make sure your address details with regular vendors and payment services are up to date, such as:
- PayPal
- Ebay
- Amazon
- Online grocery websites
- Any other e-commerce services
Banking and Insurance
It’s essential for your bank to have the right address so that your billing address is correct for distance-selling transactions, and so that they are not sending sensitive information to an incorrect address, which could expose you to the risk of fraud. With regards to your insurance policies, most of these will be rendered invalid if you change your address without informing the provider. Bear in mind that your postcode often has a bearing on insurance policies, so be prepared for the cost of premiums to change as you move.
- Bank where your current account is held
- Bank where any savings or investments are held
- Mortgage provider
- Home insurance provider
- Health insurance provider
- Providers of any other insurance policies you hold
Legal and Accounting
- Wills – changing address does necessitate an update to your will. If your move was precipitated by a divorce or separation, you may wish to take the opportunity to amend the terms of the will in any case.
- Accountant – if you have a regular accountant, you will naturally want to inform them of your move. This may have the added benefit of prompting them to remind you of any other necessary admin arising from your move.
Subscriptions etc.
So now it’s time to sweep up any other regular service providers, whether that means informing them of your address change, or simply cancelling the service and engaging a new one at your new address. Not all of these will apply, nor is this a comprehensive list, but it’s worth sitting down and listing any services or subscriptions you’ll need to address, such as:
- Gym
- Newspaper delivery
- Magazine subscriptions
- Newsletters e.g. from the university you went to. Do you think the person who lives in your place after you will be interested in them? Thought not! So either redirect them or take the opportunity to unsubscribe
- Window cleaner
- Gardener
- Cleaner
Changing address when moving can turn out to be a bigger job than you first imagine, but taking it one section at a time can make it seem more manageable. At Reliable, we appreciate you’ve got a lot on your plate when you’re dealing with a move. That’s why we offer services like packing your belongings or dismantling and reassembling your furniture – it all helps to lighten the load for you at such a busy time.
During our consultation and on-site visit, we can discuss with you exactly what tasks you’d like us to complete as part of your move. We operate throughout the Essex area such as Thurrock, Basildon, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Southend-on-sea and many more, see the areas we cover page for more information. However, of course, we’re here to help if you’re looking to move further away – Get a free online quote here, or call us now on 01268 205010