Housing Benefit
Report a change of circumstances
You need to report a change of circumstances for you and anyone else in your house.
Your claim might be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change of circumstances straight away.
Changes can include:
- starting or stopping work, education, training or an apprenticeship
- changes to the benefits you or anyone else in your house gets
- changes to your personal or workplace pension
- changes to your savings, investments or property
- your income going up or down
- moving house
- your rent going up or down
- going abroad for any length of time
- going into hospital, a care home or sheltered accommodation
- people moving into or out of your house (for example your partner, a child or lodger)
- having a baby
- your partner or someone you live with dying
- your child turning 18
- changes to your immigration status, if you’re not a British citizen
Contact your council if you’re not sure whether you need to report a change.
How to report
Contact your council to report a change of circumstances.
If you receive other benefits
You need to report a change of circumstances for all benefits you receive.
If your other benefits stop
Some benefits stop if you go back to work, work more hours or earn more money.
If this happens, your council might:
- give you an extra 4 weeks of housing benefit (‘Extended Payment of Housing Benefit’)
- start paying you an ‘in-work Housing Benefit’
You do not have to claim - your council will decide if you’re eligible for help and write to let you know.
If you’ve been paid too much
You may have to repay the money if you:
- did not report a change straight away
- gave wrong information
- were overpaid by mistake
Find out how to repay the money you owe from benefit overpayment.