Report a benefits change of circumstances

If you receive housing benefit or council tax reduction and there is a change in any of your personal circumstances, you must let us know as soon as possible.

Report a change

The types of changes you should tell us about include:

Tax credits changes

The tax credit office regularly reviews the amount of tax credit you receive. Once you receive a letter from them, please contact us, as it may affect your housing benefit or council tax reduction.

Moving address

If you move home or have a change in address, you must tell us immediately.

Income support/job seekers allowance has stopped

If job seekers allowance (income based) or income support has stopped, then you need to let us know as soon as possible.

You should also provide proof of your new income and any savings you may have.

Changes to your income or savings

If either you, your partner or another household member has a change in income or savings you must notify us of the change. We will require you to provide proof.

Change to your rent

You must tell us if your private rent charges change.

Changes to the people living with you

If you or your partner leave the household, then a new form should be completed by the person remaining in the home. It will be likely that your income will have changed and new proof and details will be required.

If anyone, including a non-dependent or dependent joins or leaves your household, you must inform us and let us know the date of the change. This is also the case if a boarder, tenant, sub-tenant or care leaver moves into or leaves your address.

We may not be able to remove someone from an address without details of their forwarding address and if you are unable to provide a forwarding address you will need to provide an explanation.

Absence from home

You will need to tell us if you or your partner leave Great Britain for a period of 4 weeks or more. Your entitlement to housing benefit will cease if  you are absent from the country for over 4 weeks.

If your absence is within Great Britain, you can still be away for up to 13 weeks as long as you intend to return to your home, and have not sublet. However you should still inform us that you will be away.

Tell us of a change as soon as possible

We need to be informed of all changes in your circumstances as soon as possible. If you delay it could lead to an overpayment that you will need to pay back. If you fail to report a change of circumstances within a month of the change, you may lose benefit as a result.