Benefits - Changes in Circumstances

• Benefits - changes in circumstances
• Changes you need to tell us about
• Too little benefit
• Too much benefit
• Letting us know about changes
• Evidence of your change
• Make sure you let others know

Benefits - changes in circumstances

Has there been a change in your circumstances since you made your last claim for Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit?

When you made your claim, you signed a declaration that said you would tell us straight away about any changes in your circumstances which might affect your benefit.

This page explains what you should do if you think there has been a change for you or anyone else living with you which could affect your benefits.

Back to top

Changes you need to tell us about

Household details

You must tell us if:

• anyone comes to live with you or leaves (including partners, relatives, lodgers or tenants);
• any of your children leave school, start work or college, start to get Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance;
• you have a student child who normally studies away from home and they return home during the holiday period;
• you or your partner go into hospital (tell us the date you go in and when you go home);
• someone living with you starts work;
• there has been a birth or a bereavement.

Change of home

You must tell us if:

• you or your partner will be living away from home, even if for a temporary period of time;
• you or your partner are changing address.

Income details

You must tell us if you or your partner:

• start or stop getting Child Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance or any other state benefits;
• start or stop work, have a change in your pay or hours you work;
• start or stop receiving Tax Credits, or have a change in the amount you receive;
• become a student, receive a student loan or grant;
• have a change in your income, savings and investments;
• start getting an occupational or private pension;
• start or stop getting Pension Credit.

Accommodation details

You must tell us if:

• your rent goes up or down;
• your tenancy agreement changes;
• you change your accommodation, even if this is to another room in the same house.

Other details

You must tell us if you or your partner:

• start or stop paying for childcare, or the amount paid out for childcare changes;
• you start or stop being a carer for someone;
• own or sell property other than the home you live in.

You still have to tell us about changes, even if you have already told someone else such as the Jobcentre Plus, Tax Credit office or another Council department

Back to top

To little benefit

Some changes in your circumstances could mean you should get more Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit. But if you delay telling us about the change it is possible that we will not be able to pay this back to the date of change. This means you may lose out on extra benefit.

Back to top

To much benefit

Some changes in your circumstances could mean you get less Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit. If you have not told us about a change that will reduce your benefit, we will take action to recover what we have overpaid you. We may take it out of the benefit we’re still paying you.

Back to top

Letting us know about changes

You must let us know about any changes as soon as possible. We need to know what the change has been and the date of the change.

You can let us know by telephoning the Revenues Section on 01343 563456 or visiting one of our area offices.

The member of staff you speak to will record your changes on a form and you must check and sign it. (They will post the form out to you if you have phoned us.)

Alternatively you can write to:

• The Revenues Section, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BR,
• or Email revenues@moray.gov.uk

Back to top

Evidence of your change

You must also provide proof of your change. This could be:

• wage slips;
• bank statements;
• tenancy agreement;
• other official documentation.

We can only accept original documents, not photocopies. We will copy your documents and return them to you. Please do not send valuable items through the post (for example, bank or building society books). If you can, bring them into your local Revenues office. We will take the details we need and give you the documents back straightaway. If you cannot get into the office, phone us for advice.

It is important that you do not delay giving us evidence of your change as we may not be able to process your benefit without it. We may suspend payment of your benefit while we wait for your evidence.

If you have problems providing evidence please let us know as soon as possible.

Back to top

Make sure you let others know

Other benefits and credits may be affected by a change in your circumstances. For example get in touch with:

• The Jobcentre Plus (telephone 0845 608 8598) about Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or any other benefits,
• The Pension Service (telephone 0800 99 1234) about Pension Credits;
• HM Revenue and Customs (telephone 0845 300 3900) about Tax Credits.

Back to top