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Report a change in your circumstances

If you claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax support from us then you need to make sure we have the right information about you. So you must tell us about any change in your circumstances within one calendar month of the change taking place. If you don’t do this quickly, you may lose out or have to pay money back.

Universal Credit

If you need to start a new Housing Benefit claim, you may have to claim Universal Credit. Find out more about this by visiting our Apply for Universal Credit page.

Changes you should tell us about

Here are some examples of changes you need to tell us about:

  • a change regarding who lives with you
  • if you have started working
  • if you've had a recent bereavement
  • a change in your wages, private pension or any other income you receive
  • a change to the amount of rent you pay
  • if you start or stop receiving Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance
  • if you start or stop receiving any other benefit
  • if your capital such as savings, and investments changes
  • any temporary absence from the country
  • if your partner, your dependents or your non-dependents have a change in their circumstances

If there are any other changes that you think could affect your benefits you should tell us anyway and we can check for you. We will tell you if you need to send us any supporting evidence.

Tell us about your change in circumstances

Supporting evidence required

You must provide documentary proof of the changes you have told us about immediately. The information you need to provide will depend on what has changed.

If you have reported more than one change, you will need to provide the evidence detailed below for each of your changes in circumstances. Any documents supplied must be origionals, as copies are not acceptable. You can submit proofs at our First Point office or any Area Housing Office.

Change in earnings

If you are reporting a change in earnings and are paid weekly you must send us your most recent 5 wage slips. If you are paid fortnightly you must send us your most recent 3 wage slips. If you are paid monthly you must send us your most recent 2 wage slips. 

All wage slips must be consecutive.

Change in self-employed earnings

If you are reporting a change in self-employed earnings then you must send us your latest set of self-employed accounts. 

If you are reporting a change in any other income, you will need to provide evidence of the income that you or your partner receives, such as Child Benefit award letters, pension slips from former employer, benefit award letters, student grant or loan award letters, proof of maintenance payments.

Change in capital

If you are reporting a change in capital and you and your partner have less than £6,000 total capital, we do not need you to provide proof, but you must have listed all your capital and told us the value of each.

However, if you have more than £6,000 we will need to see proof. This could be statements covering the last 2 months for all accounts held. For all other investments and capital, please provide certificates or other documentation.

 

Childcare and parental contribution

If you are reporting a change in money you pay out, and you pay for child care, you must send us details showing the childminder’s name, address, registration number, cost, name of children and periods of care.

Similarly, if you make a parental contribution to a student provide proof of the amount you have to pay.
 

Change in rent or address

If you are reporting a change in rent, or a change of address, then we need to see a current tenancy agreement showing the full name and address of your landlord, tenancy start date, the amount of rent charged and a breakdown of any services included in the rent.

If you’ve told us about your move before the date you move in, you must contact us immediately once you start living at the property to confirm the date you moved in.

You must also provide your tenancy agreement, unless you are living in a council house or you are only claiming Council Tax Support.

Change in income of other people

If you are reporting a change in income of other people who live with you, then we need to see proof of their income.

If you are reporting a partner moving in, we need to see proof of their National Insurance number, such as National Insurance number card, payslip from their current employer, letter from the DWP or HMRC, P45, P60. In addition, we need to see proof of their identity, such as birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport, medical card, driving licence, UK residence permit, EEC identity card. 

You must also provide proof of all their income and capital
 

Temporarily leaving Great Britain

The period that a person can be temporarily absent from their home and still qualify for Housing Benefit will reduce to 4 weeks where that absence is from Great Britain.

This may be extended in special circumstances to 8 weeks or 26 weeks. Our Temporary absence from Great Britain factsheet has more information about this.

Contact the Benefits team

Ask us a question
0114 273 6777
Monday to Friday
8:30am to 5:30pm
PO Box 1310
Sheffield

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