Changes that could affect your benefits

You must tell us about all changes in circumstances immediately. It is a criminal offence not to report a change.

You have one month to tell us from the date of the change in your circumstances. If you delay in telling us, you may lose out on benefit.

You can tell us about a change in circumstances by filling in our online form. You can also call into the council offices to report a change, or tell us by phone.

Change of address

If you move to another address in Aldershot or Farnborough and were receiving housing benefit at your old address, and you have had no other changes, you need to fill in a  Change of address form [243kb] and send it back to us using the contact details on the right of this page.

Other changes of circumstances

Every time we receive information from you, we will write back to confirm how this affects your benefit.

If you do not receive this confirmation, you must assume that we have not heard from you.

If this is the case, you must contact us again. It could be considered as fraud if you knowingly continue to receive benefit when your entitlement may have changed.

We will assess your claim using the information you have given to us.

Examples of changes you must report

• You stop receiving income support, job seeker's allowance or employment and support allowance
• Your working tax credit or child tax credit changes
• You move (even if you only move to a different room or flat in the same property)
• A child leaves school or leaves home
• You have a baby
• Your child starts to be cared for, or stops being cared for, by a registered child minder, or nursery or playgroup
• Someone moves into or out of your home (including boarders and sub-tenants)
• Your income, or the income of anyone living with you, goes up or down
• You or anyone living with you becomes a student, or takes up a government training scheme
• You or anyone living with you goes into hospital or a nursing home, or goes into prison (even if this is on remand)
• You or anyone living with you gets a job, or changes their job, or becomes unemployed
• You or anyone living with you takes a second job
• You return to work after a period of illness when you have been receiving benefit
• You or anyone living with you has a change in capital or savings of £150 or more (this does not apply to people receiving income support, job seekers allowance (income based) or pension credit (guarantee credit) - you should notify the Department of Works and Pensions
• Your rent changes
• You and/or your partner will be away from home for 13 weeks or more. Where possible, tell us about this before you go
• You receive a decision from the Home Office
• Someone starts to receive carer's allowance for looking after you
• You change the bank account that we are paying your housing benefit into
• Anything at all which is different from what you have told us on your claim form

Most changes need to be put in writing - we can accept some over the telephone. Do not rely on anyone else to give us the information, or pass a message on, not even the Job Centre, Pensions Service or Revenues and Customs.

If you don't tell us about the changes, you may lose money you are entitled to, or we may pay you too much benefit which we can ask you to repay.

If you're not sure if you need to tell us about a change, contact us with the details.

Temporary absence

You must tell us and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if you have to leave your home for a period of time, but intend to return to the property.

By informing us of your circumstances, we may be able to pay your benefit while you're away. You can have your housing benefit paid for up to 52 weeks in certain cases. Please contact us to find out if we can pay your benefit while you are away.

You may need an appointee - someone to handle your benefit affairs while you are away. We can advise you how to do this.

Help returning to work

If you return to work after being on benefit, some of your benefit will stop automatically and some will carry on for a short while to tide you over.  If you are on a low income, you may still qualify for some help.

For four weeks after you return to work, you may be able to get:

• An extended housing benefit payment
• An extended council tax benefit payment

You may also be able to get this payment is you are working more hours or earning more money.  To be eligible, you must:

• Have been getting jobseeker's allowance or income support for at least 26 weeks
• Have been getting incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance for at least 26 weeks
• Expect the work or your increased hours or earnings to last for five weeks or more

Help with childcare costs

You may be able to get more housing or council tax benefit if you have to pay childcare to go to work. We may also be able to exclude some childcare cost payments from the income we use to calculate your benefit.  To qualify, you must: be working at least 16 hours a week and your children must be in the care of a registered childminder, nursery or after-school club.

For more information, please contact us using the contact details on the right of this page.