Changes in Circumstances

What changes in circumstance do I need to tell you about?

If you are Working Age you must tell us about all changes in your circumstances

If you are in receipt of Pension Credit you only need to tell us about changes  

• In your rent
• In who lives in your home
• Of address.

If you are over 60 and not in receipt of Pension Credit you must notify us about all changes in your circumstances

If you have a change in circumstances and you are not sure if it will affect your benefit, let us know and we will advise you.

When must I notify you of a change in circumstance?

You must let us know about any changes in circumstances straight away or you may lose benefit.  

If the change means that your benefit will go down then you may have an overpayment which we will recover from you.  By ensuring that you tell us straight away any overpayment will be kept to a minimum.

If the change means that your benefit will go up you need to tell us within one month; failure to do so may result in a loss of benefit.  Examples of this could be:

• Birth of a baby
• Non-dependant moving out of your home.

If you do not tell us within one month, your claim will only be amended from the Monday following the date you tell us.  There are exceptions to this, please ask us for further advice.

How should I notify you about a change in my circumstances?

There are a number of ways to do this:

• You can visit any of the One Stop Shops at the Town Hall, Batchley, Winyates, or Woodrow.  The advisor will write down your details on a receipt and send a copy to the Benefits Section.
• By letter
• By email  
• You must tell us in writing; a phone call is not enough.

Do not rely on anyone else to tell us that your circumstances have changed.  It is your responsibility.

When we have received notification from you that your circumstances have changed, we will aim to process your claim as soon as possible.

Do I need to complete a new form for benefit if my circumstances change?

If you are in receipt of benefit now, you would not normally have to complete a new form.  However in some circumstances we may ask you to complete a shortened form detailing your changes.  For example:

• Starting work
• Changing address.

This form will help us to gather the information we need to process your claim.

REMEMBER It is your duty to notify us about ALL changes in your circumstances that may affect your entitlement.  Do not rely on the Department for Work and Pensions or your Landlord to tell us about any changes.

For more information or advice:

• Visit your local One Stop Shop at:
• The Town Hall
• Batchley Road Shops
• Winyates Centre
• Woodrow Centre
• Opening Hours

Contact us on (01527) 534050

Email us on hbenefits@redditchbc.gov.uk

Or write to us at:

Information and advice on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit can also be found on our website:

www.redditchbc.gov.uk/benefit .

You can get independent advice from an organisation like the Citizens Advice Bureau.  They can be contacted on 0844 415 01 00