Change in Circumstances
If your circumstances change while you are claiming Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support:
If you are in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support and your circumstances change, you must tell us immediately. The amount of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support you are paid is worked out using the information that you provide.
If you don't tell us about a change in your circumstances within one calendar month of it happening, you may lose benefit. If you are paid too much benefit, you will have to pay it back. Delays in telling us will increase the amount you have to pay back.
If you're not sure whether your change in circumstance is relevant and will affect your entitlement please tell us about it anyway.
You must tell us even if you have already told other organisations of the change, for example Job Centre Plus and Department for Works and Pensions.
Sometimes your benefits may change even when your circumstances remain the same. For example, the government increases most benefit payments to make sure they keep in line with inflation each year. You'll be told of any changes that affect the amount of money you get.
If you deliberately fail to report a change in your personal circumstances you are treated as having committed benefit fraud. If you're prosecuted for benefit fraud you could be fined or get a prison sentence.
April Rent Increases
If you receive the Housing Element of Universal Credit (Universal Credit pay towards your rent) you will need to notify Universal Credit of your change in rent.
If your landlord is one of the following Landlords and your Housing Benefit is paid directly to them you DO NOT need to let us know. They should inform us of your rent change automatically:
- Action Housing
- Derventio Housing Trust
- East Midland Homes (EMH)**
- Faveo Housing
- Framework Housing
- Futures Housing
- Golden Lane Housing
- Guinness Trust Housing Assoc
- Housing 21
- Inclusion Housing
- Longhurst Housing Assoc
- Metropolitan Housing Assoc
- Nacro
- Nottingham Community Housing Assoc
- P3
- Places for People
- Platform Housing
- Salvation Army Housing Assoc
- Tuntum Housing
- United Response
**PLEASE NOTE: Your Housing Benefit entitlement for 2023/24 has been calculated on your 2022/23 rent as we were not able to process EMH rent increases in time for the letters to go out. We will be recalculating your benefit and an amended benefit benefit notification will be issued shortly.
IF:
- Housing benefit is paid to you directly OR
- Your landlord is not one of the Landlords detailed above,
you should complete the Benefits - Annual Change in Rent form via your online MyErewash account, and upload your change in rent letter.
Report a death
You can report a death online using the Report a Death form.Any other changes
Tell us about any other changes through your My Erewash account - including a Change of Address, we will also use this form to update your Council Tax account
Examples of changes you must tell us about:
Income
- If anyone in your household stops or starts getting state benefits such as Income Support, Job Seeker's Allowance, Employment Sickness Allowance, Tax Credits or Universal Credit
- If anyone in your household stops or starts work or self-employment
- If anyone in your household's wages/self-employed income goes up or down
- If anyone in your household's occupational pension or retirement pension goes up or down
- You start or stop receiving child benefit for any of your children
- If anyone in your household's savings (capital) change
- Any changes if payments you get from sub-tenants or boarders
- If someone you look after stops getting Attendance Allowance
- If you stop providing care for someone and stop getting Carers Allowance
- If someone starts or stops receiving Carers Allowance for looking after you (even if they don’t live with you)
If you receive Pension Credit, either Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit, you should inform the local Pension Service of any changes to your income rather than us. This is because we are governed by the Pension Service and therefore we can only amend your entitlement to Housing Benefit and / or Council Tax Support based upon the information they send us.
Household details
- If you move
- If anyone else moves in or out (including lodgers or boarders)
- If anyone dies
- If anyone in your household goes into/leaves hospital or a care home
- If anyone in your household are going to be away from home for more than 1 month
- If any of your children leave school or leave home
- If you have another child (including through adoption)
- If you get married or register a Civil Partnership
Accommodation details
- If your rent changes
- If your Landlord or Agent changes
Other changes
- If you or any household member commences/finishes further education
- You start or stop paying childcare charges
- A change in your bank account details.
What you will need to tell us:
Should you have a change in your circumstances you will need also need to ensure you declare the following:
-
The date of the change
-
What has changed; and
-
Details of the change.
Note that in certain circumstances we can only accept original documents (not photocopies) but we will advise you when this is necessary.
If your family's circumstances or income change, it is your responsibility to tell us. Tell us immediately, as it may affect your benefit, and any resulting overpayment will be reclaimed from you. If you knowingly give us false information, the money will be reclaimed and you may be prosecuted. A change of circumstances can only be backdated in your favour for one calendar month, however if the change results in an overpayment of benefit there is no time limit.
Direction of Chief Executive Officer regarding Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support
