Report Housing Benefit changes

Housing Benefit - Changes you need to tell us about

Your benefit claim is based on the people that live in your household, the income and savings of the claimant and partner, the number of children (including age) and also other adults living in the property (non-dependents)

Most changes of circumstances are likely to affect the amount of benefit that you are entitled to receive therefore you must tell us straight away if your circumstances change.

Examples of changes of circumstances we need to know about:

• A change of address
• A change to your rent
• Someone starts work, changes job or takes an extra job
• Someone's income, capital or savings go up or down
• Tax Credits or government benefits start, change or stop - especially Income Support or Job Seeker’s Allowance
• A new baby arrives
• A child leaves school
• Someone comes to live with you
• Someone who lives with you is moving out.
• Someone goes into hospital

This isn’t a complete list of everything that can happen - if you are not sure then let us know anyway.

You must report a change in circumstances to us within one calendar month of the date of the change happening - if you delay and you qualify for more benefit because of the change you may lose out, or you may receive payments that you are not entitled to, in which case you will be required to pay this back to us (Housing Benefit Overpayments).

If you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support, you must tell us about changes to your circumstances straight away.

If you don't it may affect the benefits your receive, or you may be committing fraud.

• link: Fraud

Already claiming Council Tax Support and/or Housing Benefit - report a change

To report a change in your circumstances, such as you are moving house, please complete the following form:

Report a change

Providing additional information or proof

The easiest way to provide additional information or proof in support of your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support application is online – this means that you don’t have to visit us in person or send anything through the post:

Online form

You can also provide details or report a change via your OpenAshfield account.

OpenAshfield

Change your bank details

To change the bank account details for the account we pay your Housing Benefit into you can use this online form.

Change bank details