Report changes affecting 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.