Changes of circumstances

Your Housing Benefit has been assessed on the information you have given to us.

But if your circumstances change, you must contact us because it may affect your benefit entitlement.

You should let us know as soon as there is a change. Do not rely on someone else to pass the message on. If you do not tell us straight away, you may lose money you are entitled to or you may get too much benefit, which you would have to pay back to us.

Some of the changes you need to tell us about include:

  • If any of your children leave school or home or if you have a baby
  • If your income or the income of anyone living with you changes
  • If your capital, savings, or investments change
  • If an award of Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance starts or ends
  • If your rent changes
  • If anybody moves into or out of your property
  • If you or anyone living with you becomes a student or goes into hospital, a nursing home or prison
  • If you start or stop paying childcare costs.

This list does not include all changes. If you have a change which is not included in this list, you should contact us to find out if it is something we need to know about.

If you are below pension age, some changes might mean that you stop receiving Housing Benefit and must make a claim for Universal Credit instead. See our page Moving to Universal Credit for more information.