Changes in circumstances
You are required to tell us about anything you think might
affect your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. You must do
this within 1 month of the change taking place. If you fail to do
this and your benefit increases you will lose out. We will recover
any overpayment from you and you may lose some benefit.
Here are some of the things you must tell us about:
- If you or anyone in your home, stops getting benefit such as
Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance
- You or anyone in your home starts or stops full time, part time
or temporary work, or changes jobs. More advice is available on the
DirectGov
benefit adviser (external link) page.
- If you have a pay rise, change your hours or your rate of
pay
- If you have an increase in a state or private pension
- If you or your partner give birth
- Changes to your Child Benefit or Tax Credits
- If you gain or lose a partner for example marry, enter into a
Civil Partnership, live together as a couple or separate
- Changes to your rent
- Changes in your address, even temporary changes (see our
moving house page for more
information)
- People moving in or out of your home, such as a partner,
children, relatives or other adults
- Income going up or down. This includes your income, your
partner's income or the income of anyone else living with you
- If your savings or your family's savings goes up or down
- If you are going away temporarily. We need to know how long you
expect to be away for and why you have gone away. This includes
going on holiday, staying with a friend or relative to care for
them or going into hospital. (More
information on being admitted to hospital)
This is not a full list. If you are not sure, ask us for advice.
You must tell us about any changes in writing. Any change reported
over the phone must then be confirmed to us in writing.
If there is a change of circumstances you will be required to
provide original proofs of evidence before your benefit will be
increased or paid for your new address but do not delay telling us.
We will tell you how long you have to provide the evidence we
need.
You must complete a Change of Circumstances form for Housing
Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit every time you move home, even
if this is between flats or rooms within the same building.
Benefit is only payable for your current home and stops when you
move.