Changes in your income or household circumstances

You are required to tell us about anything you think might affect your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. You must do this within 1 month of the change taking place. If you fail to do this and your benefit increases you will lose out. We will recover any overpayment from you and you may lose some benefit.

Here are some of the things you must tell us about:

• If you or anyone in your home, stop getting benefit such as Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance
• You or anyone in your home starts or stops full time, part time or temporary work, or changes jobs. More advice is acvailable on the DirectGov benefit adviser page.
• If you have a pay rise, change your hours or your rate of pay 
• If you have an increase in a state or private pension
• If you or your partner give birth
• Changes to your Child Benefit or Tax Credits
• If you gain or lose a partner for example marry, enter into a Civil Partnership, live together as a couple or separate 
• Changes to your rent
• Changes in your address, even temporary changes
• People moving in or out of your home, such as a partner, children, relatives or other adults
• Income going up or down. This includes your income, your partner's income or the income of anyone else living with you
• If your savings or your family's savings goes up or down
• If you are going away temporarily. We need to know how long you expect to be away for and why you have gone away. This includes going on holiday, staying with a friend or relative to care for them or going into hospital. (More information on being admitted to hospital)

This is not a full list. If you are not sure, ask us for advice. You must tell us about any changes in writing. Any change reported over the phone must then be confirmed to us in writing.

If there is a change of circumstances you will be required to provide original proofs of evidence before your benefit will be increased or paid for your new address but do not delay telling us. We will tell you how long you have to provide the evidence we need.

You must complete a Change of Circumstances form for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit every time you move home, even if this is between flats or rooms within the same building.

Benefit is only payable for your current home and ceases when you move.