Telling the Benefits Service about changes in your circumstances

If you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit (including the Second Adult Rebate), you must tell us about any changes that happen to you or the people living with you which may affect how much benefit you get.

Even small changes can affect how much we can pay you.

Please tell us about the change straightaway. If you delay, you may lose more benefit.  

How do I tell you?

You can tell us about the change:

You must not rely on someone else such as your landlord, the Job Centre or a friend telling us about a change affecting you or the other people living with you. You must tell us yourself.

What sort of changes do I need to tell you about?

Some of the changes you must tell us about are listed below:

  • your Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance stops
  • you move home or change address
  • There is a change in your income or benefits, or in the income or benefits of anyone living with you
  • you start to get tax credits, or if your tax credits change or stop
    Please also tell us the reason your tax credits have changed, if you know it
  • Anyone moves in or out of your home
  • There is a birth or death in your household
  • Anyone comes to stay with you (even for a short time)
  • You start a new job, or your hours change, or you change jobs
  • You stop working
  • You claim any other benefit (including Income Support and Job Seekers Allowance)
  • Your capital / savings increase (unless they remain under £6,000)
  • You start or stop receiving Child Benefit for a child
  • Your child stops or starts being a student
  • You are going to be away from home for a period of time
  • You are going into hospital

These are only examples of changes you need to tell us about. If you are not sure if a change might affect your benefit, contact us for more information.

You may lose benefit if you delay telling us about a change in your circumstances. If you are paid too much benefit as a result, you may have to pay it back.

You may be prosecuted if you deliberately give us false information or if you do not tell us of a change in your circumstances in order to get more benefit than you are entitled to.