• What Changes in your Circumstances will mean to your Housing Benefit
• Changes you Must Tell us About
• How to Tell us
  

If there is a change in your circumstances which may make a difference to your Housing Benefit or Council Tax claim you need to be aware of the following:

If the change will mean that we will pay you more benefit, we will only amend your claim from the Monday after you tell us about it.  However if you tell us within 1 month of the change, we will amend your claim from the Monday after the change.

If the change will mean that we will pay you less benefit, we will amend your claim from the Monday after the change (this may mean you have been paid too much and you will have to pay this back.)

PLEASE NOTE: Telling the Benefits Agency or Inland Revenue of a change does not mean that they will automatically tell the Council. You must also tell us.

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Changes you Must Tell us About

Some of the changes in circumstances that you must tell us about:

• A change in your income/savings, your partner’s income/savings of the income/savings of any non-dependants who live with you
• If someone joins or leaves the household
• If you have to leave your home, even if only temporarily
• If you have to go into hospital or claim for someone who goes into hospital
• If you have to go into residential care or a nursing home

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How to Tell Us

You must tell us about any changes in your circumstances in writing as soon as the change occurs.

It is always better to tell us of any changes in your circumstances because they may affect your entitlement to Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit and if you have been paid more than you are entitled you will have to pay this back.

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