Housing benefit

People who are claiming housing benefit or council tax benefit need to tell the council about changes in their circumstances which could affect their entitlement.

Anyone who is not sure whether or not to tell the council of a particular change should make contact, using the information at the foot of this page, for advice.

The council needs to have the information about these changes in writing. A telephone call is not enough. And the council needs to be informed in writing as soon as possible, within one month of the change. If not, claimants can lose money or may be asked to pay benefit back to the council.

People claiming benefits must not rely on someone else to pass on the message - they should always tell the council themselves. The following lists show what kind of changes the council needs to know about:

People getting Pension Credit paid as Guarantee Credit or Pension Credit paid as Guarantee Credit and Savings combined:

• rent or tenancy changes (except rent increases for council tenants);
• changes to the income of any non-dependants (that is someone other than a partner or dependant children) who lives with the claimant;
• if a non-dependant moves in or out of the claimant's home;
• if the claimant or their partner are likely to be absent from home for 13 weeks or more.

People getting Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (income based):

• rent or tenancy changes (except rent increases for council tenants);
• changes to the income of any non-dependants (that is someone other than a partner or dependant children) who lives with the claimant;
• if a non-dependant moves in or out of the claimant's home;
• if the claimant or their partner are likely to be absent from home for 13 weeks or more;
• if an entitlement to Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (income based) ends.

People getting Pension Credit paid as Savings Credit only:

• rent or tenancy changes (except rent increases for council tenants);
• changes to the income of any non-dependants (that is someone other than a partner or dependant children) who lives with the claimant;
• if a non-dependant moves in or out of the claimant's home.
• if the claimant or their partner are likely to be absent from home for 13 weeks or more;
• changes to Child Tax Credit or Child Benefit;
• changes to any partner's income or capital that has not been included in the Pension Credit claim;
• if the claimant's capital (or their partner's) exceeds £16,000.

People not getting Pension Credit, Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (income based):

• if any children leave school or leave home;
• if anyone moves in or out of the claimant's home, including lodgers and sub-tenants;
• if the claimant's income or the income of anyone living in their home, including benefits, changes;
• if the claimant's capital or savings (or their partner's) change;
• if the claimant or anyone living with them becomes a student, goes on a youth training scheme, goes into hospital or a nursing home, goes to prison or changes or leaves a job;
• changes to the rent;
• if the claimant move home;
• if the claimant or their partner are away from home for more than a month;
• if the claimant or anyone living with them starts work;
• if the claimant receives any decisions from the Home Office;
• if anything the council has been told previously changes.

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