Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Reporting a Change

When your claim for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit or Local Housing Allowance is worked out your benefit amount is based on personal and financial details you supplied at the time of your claim. The benefit letter we sent you tells you the information we have used to work out your benefit.

You should read the letter carefully to make sure the correct income and personal details have been used. If any of the information used to work out your benefit is wrong you must tell us straight away.

The letter also informs you of your duty to tell us of any changes in your circumstances.

Changes to report
You must tell us about any change that may affect the amount of benefit you are getting. These are some examples:

Your or your partners income or savings.

• starting work,
• stop or start to get Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance or income related Employment and Support Allowance,
• start to get Tax Credits or the amount changes,
• wages go up or down due to working different hours, changing jobs or getting a payrise,
• child benefit stops or reduces,
• start to receive a private pension, or the amount changes,
• stop or start receiving any social security benefits or other income,
• any other income you receive goes up or down,
• any money you have in the bank or building society goes up or down,
• receive a lump sum payment due to redundancy, compensation, maturing policy or the sale of a property.

The home you live in.

• move to a new home,
• rent goes up or down if you are a private tenant,
• you or your partner leave temporarily.

People who live with you.

• a birth,
• a child leaves school or college,
• childcare payments to a registered childminder, nursery or after school club alters,
• anyone comes to live with you or if someone living with you moves out, this could be a partner, child or other adult,
• the income of anyone living with you changes,

These are only examples of the changes we need to know about. You can call us on 393829 if you want more advice.

When to tell us.
You should tell us as soon as you can. The sooner we are told the sooner we can amend your benefit.

We will usually work out your new benefit from the Monday after the date the change happened. If the change means you get less benefit, the longer you delay telling us the more benefit we may have overpaid you.

If you leave it longer than one month to tell us you may lose benefit. If the changes means you will get more benefit we will only give you the new benefit from the Monday after you told us.

Telling another government department such as the Inland Revenue or Jobcentre Plus does not mean that we will be told about the change, you must tell us.

How to tell us.
You can tell us by letter or by downloading the change of circumstances form below. We usually need proof of the change and it must be an original document. Photocopies are not accepted. Original documents can be copied free of charge at our reception, any Tristar Neighbourhood Housing Office or any rent/council tax payment office.

If you do not have proof still tell us of the change straight away. You can provide proof later.

Remember it is an offence not to report changes in your circumstances and we may take action against you.