Making claims and reporting changes
If you claim benefits, there is a requirement to report your circumstances when you first claim and then update any changes in your circumstances when they happen.
If you delay or give incorrect information
- If you give wrong or incomplete information or delay in telling the relevant benefit departments about changes, you may be paid the wrong amount of benefit that they will ask you to repay this money.
- Some changes may mean entitlement to a benefit could start or increase and delaying reporting/asking about this may mean you miss some benefit payments that you could have received.
Report all changes in circumstances
Not all changes affect all benefits you claim. However if you are unsure you can let the relevant benefit departments know, this should keep your benefits correct, they should give you correct advice.
You can check for further information on specific benefits on our A-Z of Benefits.
Changes that can alter your entitlement include:
- People who live with you- including partner/ other adults/ children, leave or join your household.
- Someone living in your home dies.
- Changes in circumstances of anyone in the household – like stopping or starting education or training, work, benefits entitlements or other financial circumstances.
- Where you stay – like a change of address.
- If someone living in your home goes into/out of hospital or a care home.
- Someone living in your household goes in to or out of remand/custody.
- Caring responsibilities – start caring for someone or stop caring for someone.
- If you leave the country for any length of time.
Income and/or capital and savings changes
You also need to report changes in your income or capital/savings if you claim certain ‘means tested’ benefits.
Income changes affect benefits such as Child Tax Credit/Working Tax Credit.
Income and/or capital and savings changes affect benefits such as Employment Support Allowance (Income Related), Jobseekers Allowance (Income based), Income Support, Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction, Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
Other types of changes in circumstances to report
- Changes like starting/stopping employment, hours of work and earnings changes.
- Childcare costs start/stop or change.
- Rent, mortgage, home loan or service charges start/stop or change.
- You buy or sell a home/property or land.
- Other benefits start/stop or change.
- Pensions, annuities or other types of incomes start/stop or change.
- Health changes such as being fit/unfit to work or health challenges that impact daily life/mobility.
If you need further advice contact us.