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Changes to your Council Tax Benefit

What to do if my circumstances change?

It's important you let us know immediately if you have a change in your circumstances as you may get too little or too much benefit.

It's an offence not to tell us about any change of circumstance that affects your benefit. We may take court action against you and if we pay you too much benefit, you'll probably have to pay it back.

How to tell us about changes to your circumstances

You can tell us about any changes by:

  • Downloading and completing our change of circumstances form
  • Using the change of circumstances form that was included with your Council Tax Benefit application form
  • Ringing us on 0845 121 2970 for a form
  • Picking one up from one of our Customer Service Centres
  • Writing to us. It's important that you provide details of the change, the date of the change and proof where appropriate.

What changes do I need to report?

Here are some examples of the types of changes that you need to report - there are many more. It's important you check with us if you're unsure if a change will affect your entitlement to Council Tax Benefit.

  • If you start work
  • If you change your address
  • Changes in income or capital/assets - you or your partner
  • Changes in status (eg: marriage, separation, bereavement)
  • The end of entitlement to Income Support (IS); Jobseekers Allowance income or contributions based (JSAIB or JSA Conts) Employment Support Allowance (ESA) - you or your partner
  • Absences exceeding, or likely to exceed, 13 weeks - you or your partner
  • Changes affecting people who live with you including.
    • If someone comes to live with you or if someone leaves your household
    • If the income or circumstances of someone living with you changes for example, if they start/end work, start/end college/university or start/end Income Support etc
    • If you stop getting Child Benefit for someone.