Change in circumstances
From 14 November 2018, most working age customers will need to claim Universal Credit for help with their rent. If you have a change of circumstances that ends your current Housing Benefit entitlement (for example, an increase in income) and you need to make a new claim in the future, you will usually have to make a claim for Universal Credit for help with your rent. View information about the eligibility for Housing benefit to see if you are eligible.
Visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Universal Credit and how to claim it.
Universal Credit will not cover Council Tax. View information about how to claim Council Tax Reduction if you need help to pay your Council Tax.
Tell us straight away if your circumstances change.
Your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction (formerly known as Council Tax Support) is worked-out using the information you give us on your application form.
If this information has changed, you may no longer be getting the right amount of help towards your rent or Council Tax.
Changes you need to tell us about
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, hourly rate/salary or employer
- if you are moving home
- changes to your rent
- someone else moving into or out of your home
- the birth of a child
- your children leaving school or starting work
- the changed circumstances of anyone living with you
- 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 the extra benefit from the time that you tell us. 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 Reduction 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 or the Department for Work and Pensions may investigate you for benefit fraud and prosecute you if you are found guilty.
Find out how we respond to benefit fraud and how to report it to us
Online forms
The fastest way to update your claim is to report your change online using the appropriate online form. To do this, you will need to have your claim reference number handy. This number can be found 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.
Complete our online form to report a change of address
Complete our online form to report a change in circumstances
Last updated : 13 January 2025
From 14 November 2018, most working age customers will need to claim Universal Credit for help with their rent. If you have a change of circumstances that ends your current Housing Benefit entitlement (for example, an increase in income) and you need to make a new claim in the future, you will usually have to make a claim for Universal Credit for help with your rent. View information about the eligibility for Housing benefit to see if you are eligible.
Visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Universal Credit and how to claim it.
Universal Credit will not cover Council Tax. View information about how to claim Council Tax Reduction if you need help to pay your Council Tax.
When you report a change of circumstances, please tell us:
- the exact date the change happened and
- what the change is (please give us as much information as you can - so we don’t have to get back in touch with you to ask more questions).
You must provide evidence at the same time as you notify us about the change - so please have this ready. If you don’t provide evidence, we won’t be able to update your claim.
| Circumstance | Evidence you must provide |
|---|---|
| Moving out of the area | Please provide details of your forwarding address. |
| Moving in the area | Details of your forwarding address and, if your new address is rented, proof of your new rent (for example, your tenancy agreement). You will need to tell us how many rooms there are in the new property and, if you share the property with anyone else, how many rooms are just for you. If your landlord has changed and you want Housing Benefit paid to them, we will need the landlord's bank sort code, account number and the name on the account. |
| Starting work | Contract of employment (showing hours of work and rate of pay) or first wage slip. |
| Finishing work | Your last wage slip or P45. |
| Change in benefits | Details of the change and new award letter. |
| Someone has moved in | Name, date of birth, National Insurance number, nationality and previous address of this person - plus proof of their income, proof of any capital they have and the details of any land or property they own. If more than one person has moved in, you will need to provide these details for each person. |
| Someone has moved out | Please provide their forwarding address. |
| Change in income | Details of the change and proof of your new income; for example, award letters or wage slips. |
| Someone who lives with me has had an income change | Details of the change and proof of their new income; for example, award letters or wage slips. |
| Rent has changed | A letter from your landlord confirming the new amount of rent and the date of the change. |
| Savings have changed | Bank statement, share certificates, premium bonds. |
Last updated : 1 October 2024
From 14 November 2018, most working age customers will need to claim Universal Credit for help with their rent. If you have a change of circumstances that ends your current Housing Benefit entitlement (for example, an increase in income) and you need to make a new claim in the future, you will usually have to make a claim for Universal Credit for help with your rent. View information about the eligibility for Housing benefit to see if you are eligible.
Visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Universal Credit and how to claim it.
Universal Credit will not cover Council Tax. View information about how to claim Council Tax Reduction if you need help to pay your Council Tax.
By online form
The easiest and fastest way to update your claim is to use one of our online forms to report your change. You can do this using a smart phone, tablet or computer.
You will need to attach the evidence of your change to the form. You can do this by uploading a photograph (for example, taken on your phone or tablet) or scanning an image, for example of your wage slip or proof of benefit.
You will also need to have your claim reference number and evidence ready. 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.
Complete our online form to report a change of address
Complete our online form to report a change in circumstances
By email
If you can't report your change by online form, you can e-mail us.
Our email address is:
benefit.service@telford.gov.uk
Please put your claim reference number in the 'Subject' field so that we can find your claim.
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 address and postcode.
What do you need to tell us?
- The exact date the change happened.
- What the change was. Please give us as much information as you can so that we don't have to get back in touch with you to ask more questions.
Please provide your evidence at the same time as you notify us of the change, so have this ready to attach to your email. If you don't provide evidence, we won't be able to update your claim.
By post
If you are unable to report your change online or by email, you can post us the details and proof of your change.
Our postal address is:
Benefits Service
PO Box 249
Telford
TF3 4LP
What do you need to tell us?
- Your claim reference number, name and address.
- The exact date the change happened.
- What the change was. Please give us as much information as you can so that we don't have to get back in touch with you to ask more questions.
Last updated : 1 October 2024