Report a change in circumstances
Benefits calculator on GOV.UK

Changes you need to report

If you receive Housing Benefit and or Council Tax Support and your circumstances change, you must tell us immediately. Changes can affect the amount of benefit you’re entitled to or how much Council Tax you need to pay.

If you do not tell us about any changes in your circumstances, we might not pay you enough benefit, or we might pay you too much and you may have to pay it back.

Income, benefits and savings

You must report the following changes.

If you or your partner’s income stops, starts, goes up or goes down

Income includes:

  • wages
  • tax credits
  • maintenance payments
  • pensions/occupational or works pension

If the amount of benefit you or your partner receives changes and you have recently started work you do not need to tell us if you have already told Jobcentre Plus.

If you or your partner start or stop receiving benefits

For example:

  • Income Support
  • Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Employment and Support Allowance
  • Incapacity Benefit or sickness benefits
  • tax credits
  • any other benefits

If you have recently started work, you can find out about benefits and other help that may be available on the GOV.UK website.

If your savings change

Tell us if your savings:

  • go over £6,000 for the first time
  • go over £16,000
  • go down significantly because you have had to spend some

You should also tell us if:

  • you are working age, have savings of £6,000 or more, and they increase by £250 or more
  • you or your partner reach the qualifying age for State Pension Credit and your savings go over £10,000 for the first time

You do not need to tell us about small changes in your current account or any stocks or shares you hold.

Household changes

Includes marriages, births, deaths, or someone moving in or out.

You must tell us if:

  • someone moves in or moves out
  • your partner moves in or moves out
  • you get married
  • you sublet
  • someone who lives with you has a change in income
  • any of your children leave school
  • you stop receiving child benefit for any of your children

When any of your children turn 18, you must also tell us if they are staying at school, going to college, starting work or claiming benefits.

If your partner dies:

  • we will end the claim if they were the main claimant
  • you will need to make an online claim within one month, so we can pay Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support from the date your partner died

If you take more than one month to make your claim, you will need to ask us backdate your benefit to the date your partner died. You can ask for a backdate for up to one month.

Housing and rent

You must tell us if:

  • you move house (or are about to). Tell us as soon as possible by completing a change of address online form to make sure you get the right amount of benefit
  • you become liable for Council Tax. You must make a new Council Tax Support claim within one month of becoming liable to make sure you get the right amount of benefit. If you take more than a month to make your claim, you can ask us to consider paying your benefit from the date you were liable for Council Tax
  • you rent from a private landlord or a registered social landlord (housing association). Tell us if:
    • your rent goes up or down
    • there is a change in the service charges you pay
    • the property you live in changes

You do not need to tell us about rent changes if you rent from the council.

Other changes to your housing situation may affect your Housing Benefit.

Annual rent increase

If your landlord is one of the following there is no need to notify us or supply proof of your rent increase as your landlord will do this on your behalf.

Landlord or organisation:

  • Adullam
  • Adullam assured rents
  • Accord
  • Accord Gulab/Kaylan
  • Advance
  • Clarion/Affinity Sutton
  • Alpha Housing Co-op
  • AnchorHanover
  • ashley comm HA
  • Balsall Heath Housing CO-OP
  • Birmingham City Council
  • Birmingham Civic
  • Birmingham Rathbone
  • BCHS
  • Black Country Housing Group
  • Broadening Choices OP
  • Bromford
  • Bournville VT
  • Bournville VT managed properties
  • Citizen (West Mercia/Optima)
  • CVCHA/Pioneer
  • Riverside ECHG
  • Riverside Townsend Gardens
  • Easy Housing Association
  • ELIM
  • Encircle
  • Extra Care
  • Family HA
  • FCH
  • FRY - Accord
  • Harborne Parish Lands
  • HABINTEG
  • Inclusion
  • James Charities
  • Housing 21
  • Lenches trust
  • Longhurst group
  • Midland Heart Supported Accommodation
  • Midland Mencap
  • Mind
  • NACRO - NCE
  • Nemehiah Housing
  • New Outlook
  • New Servol
  • Optivo
  • Platform
  • Prospect
  • Progress
  • Salvation Army
  • Sanctuary
  • Sanctuary Beth Johnson
  • Sir Josiah Mason
  • St Annes
  • St Basils
  • St Peters College
  • Stonham/ home group
  • Sustain uk
  • Teachers Housing Association
  • Trident Reach
  • Trident
  • Trinity
  • Victoria Tenants
  • Yardley Great Trust
  • YMCA
  • WHG
  • Waterloo (secured tenancies)
  • Westmoreland
  • Witton Lodge
  • Women's Aid
  • 3CHA

Page last updated: 5 February 2024

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