You must tell us straight away if there has been a change in your circumstances that may make a difference to your existing Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit entitlement.
Telling another government department - such as the Inland Revenue, Job Centre Plus or the Department for Works and Pensions - does NOT mean that we will be notified about the changes. If you don't tell us about a change you could lose benefit or be overpaid Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit
Changes in benefits
For example, if you or your partner stop receiving:
-
Income Support
-
Jobseekers Allowance
-
Any other benefit.
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Changes in income
For example, if there is a change in you or your partner’s:
- Wages
- Tax Credits
- Maintenance
- Pension
- Any other income
People who live with you
For example:
- Anyone comes to live with you or moves out
- Someone who lives with you starts or stops work
- There is a change in the income of someone who lives with you.
- A child is born
- A child leaves school.
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Bank accounts, savings and investments
You must tell us if there are any changes in your :
- bank accounts
- savings
- other investments.
However, you do not need to tell us about the day-to-day changes to your current account or value of shares on the stock market.
Private rents
You must tell us if:
- Your landlord puts your rent up or down
- The services included in your rent change
- The part of the property you live in changes
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Other changes
You need to tell us if you:
- Move
- Live away from home
- Become a student or finish a course
- Go into hospital
- Go into prison
- have a partner who moves in with you
The above does not cover all changes we must know about. If you are not sure whether we need to know about a change, please tell us anyway. Don’t leave it until the next time you fill in a claim form.
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How to report changes
You must tell us about any changes in writing.
You should let us know what has changed and the date the change took place, giving as many details as possible. For example, we need to know the full name and date of birth of someone who has come to live with you, as well as the date they moved into your home.
You can download a form from this page to report a change in circumstances
We usually need proof of any changes and require original documents. Original documents will be photocopied free of charge at Revenues and Benefits reception.
If you don’t have any evidence, do not delay in telling us about the change. You can provide proof later when it is available.
If you are able to call in at Wellington Street reception point, we will amend your claim whilst you wait if you bring with you all information we need to calculate the change to your benefit.
You may have to wait to be seen but we will try to keep you waiting for the shortest time possible. If you haven't got all the information we need we can make you an appointment to come back again.
Changes reported by post, telephone or handed in at any designated office will take longer to process.
If you are housebound or elderly, we have a welfare visiting service that can help you. To use this service, please call our benefit hot line on 0116 252 7006.
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How long will it take us process the change in circumstances?
On average last month, we took 14 days to assess the impact on a claim once we were told about a change in circumstances. Our aim is to process these changes in less than 10 days.
If you tell us within one month we shall usually work out your new benefit entitlement from the Monday following the date the change happened.
If you leave it longer than one month and the change means that you will get more benefit, we can only work out the new benefit from the Monday after you have told us. This would mean that you lose benefit.
If the change means that you will get less benefit, we will always work out your new benefit rate from the Monday following the date of the change.
If you delay telling us you might be overpaid benefit and need to pay it back.
For Council Tax Benefit, we will take the money out of your Council Tax account and you will receive a new bill showing you have more to pay.
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