Skip to content
  1. Do it online
  2. Login
  3. Have your say
  4. My Durham

Due to essential maintenance, the following systems will be unavailable from 3.00pm on Friday 31 March until 8.00am Monday 3 April 2023: our online council tax, business rates and housing benefit services, and our welfare assistance form. You will also not be able to register to pay council tax online, make a change of address for council tax or cancel single person discount. You are still able to make a payment during this time. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you're of working age and think you may be eligible for help with your rent, you must apply for Universal Credit instead of Housing Benefit. Please note that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for Universal Credit.

Report changes affecting your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction


If you get housing benefit or Council Tax Reduction, you should tell us straight away if anything changes that could affect the amount you're entitled to.

Contact us to report a change that affects your housing benefit or Council Tax Reduction.

Alternatively, if you want to visit us in person, you can make an appointment at your nearest customer access point to report any changes.

If you don't tell us quickly, we may not be able to backdate any increase you might get. If there are any changes you're unsure about, contact us for advice.

What evidence will you need to provide?

It depends on what the change is. Our what information should you provide page lists the type of documents we can accept as proof.

We can accept scanned documents except for those used to use confirm your identity, please send them to us using our contact us details.

What changes do you need to tell us about?

You must tell us about anything that may affect your Housing Benefit payment. For example:

  • Changes to your tenancy or rent payments or if you move house.
  • If anyone moves into or out of your home. If they move out, we'll need to know where they have moved to.
  • If someone dies.
  • Changes to how much money you or anyone living with you gets. This includes changes to other benefits and tax credits. There are different rules for Pension Credit - see below.
  • You or your partner has a change in the amount of capital or savings you have. Again there are different rules for Pension Credit.
  • You or anyone in your household is expected to be absent from the property for more than 13 weeks for any reason.
  • Someone in your household becomes a student or stops being one.

Pension Credit

There are slightly different rules for anyone receiving Pension Credit. If you:

  • get Pension Savings Credit - as well as the above changes you must tell us if you or your partner's capital or savings increases to over £16,000.
  • get Guaranteed Pension Credit - you must report all changes in income, savings and capital to the Pension Service instead of us. They will, in turn, inform us.
Contact us
Benefits
03000 26 2000
Our address is:
  • Transactional and Customer Services
  • PO Box 238
  • Stanley
  • County Durham
  • United Kingdom
  • DH8 1FP