Tell us about a change in your circumstances

Changes you must tell us about

Please tell us immediately if there is a change in your circumstances or anyone who you have included in your claim has a change in circumstances, this includes

• you or anyone living with you:
  • becomes a student
  • goes on a youth training scheme
  • goes into hospital or a nursing home
  • goes into prison
• any of your children leave school, or leave home
• anyone moves into or out of your home, (including subtenants and boarders)
• your income or the income of anyone living with you, including benefits, changes
• your capital, savings or investments change, or the capital, savings and investments of anyone living with you changes
• your or anyone living with you changes jobs or the number of hours worked
• your rent changes
• you move
• you or your partner are going to be away from the property for more than 4 weeks
• any childcare you pay changes

For most changes you will need to provide proof so that we can reassess your benefit, at the end of the form you will be told what evidence we need.

Report a change in circumstances

When you need to tell us of your changes

You must tell us within a month of your change in circumstance happening.. If your new circumstances mean you get an increase to your benefit, you could risk losing out if you don’t tell us straight-away.

If your new circumstances mean you would get less benefit, you should still tell us within a month. To reduce being overpaid, please tell us straight-away.

Who else you need to tell about your changes

If you get Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or any other social security benefit, you need to tell the Department of Work and Pensions about your change immediately.

If you have moved, we always check if you are getting these benefits at your new address. However, if the Department of Work and Pensions don't know that you've moved, it might hold up your claim with us.

It is an offence not to tell us about a change in your circumstances that affects benefit. We may take further action against you if we consider that you have committed an offence.

If you know someone who is claiming benefit fraudulently you can report this in confidence on the Fraud Hotline.