Tell us straight away if your circumstances change.
Your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support has been worked out using the information you gave us on your application form.
If this information has changed you may not be getting the right amount of help towards your rent or Council Tax.
Examples of some of the changes you need to tell us about are:
- changes to you or your partner’s income (including benefits)
- changes to you or your partner’s savings including if you inherit money/property
- if you or your partner start or leave work
- changes in your or your partner’s working hours or hour rate/salary or employer
- moving home
- changes to your rent
- someone else moving into or out of your home
- birth of a child
- your children leaving school or starting work
- the circumstances of anyone living with you changes
- any period of temporary absence from your home of 4 weeks or more
If you’re entitled to more benefit because of a change you will normally only be awarded more from the time that you tell us and we won’t be able to backdate it.
If you’re entitled to less benefit because of a change your benefit will reduce from the date the change occurred. If you’ve been overpaid we will ask for the money back.
If you don’t tell us about a change that affects the amount of Council Tax Support you receive, even if it wasn't deliberate we may fine you £70 as a penalty.
If you deliberately don’t tell us about a change we may investigate you for benefit fraud and prosecute you if you are guilty.
The fastest way to update your claim is to report your change online.
You will need your claim reference number handy.
You can find this on your benefit award letters in the top right hand corner.
If you don’t know your claim reference number please make sure you give us your full name, address and postcode so that we can find your claim.
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