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Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit
Apply for Council Tax Reduction (CTR) and/or Housing Benefit (HB)
Payment of Council Tax Reduction (CTR) and Housing Benefit (HB)
Reporting changes: Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit
Changing your address
Real Time Information (RTI)
Overpayments
Local Housing Allowance (LHA)
Reporting Benefit Fraud
Appeals - Council Tax Reduction
Bedroom Tax - size criteria in the social rented sector
Benefit Cap
Difficulty paying your Council Tax

Reporting changes: Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit

When you are in receipt of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, you must notify the Council of any changes in your circumstances that might affect your entitlement.

Who should report a change?

  • The person claiming.
  • A landlord who receives payments.

Examples of change in circumstances

The following are some examples of changes in circumstances that you, your partner or members of your household may experience and should be reported. This is not an exhaustive list.

TypeType of changes
Income
  • If a household member's earned income increases or decreases.
  • If as household member's working hours change.
  • If a household member begins a new job.
  • If tax credits increase or decrease.
  • If someone starts to receive or stops receiving Carer's Allowance for you or your partner.
  • If benefits paid by the Department for Work and Pensions stop or start for any household member.
  • If someone is receiving student loans, bursaries or grants.
Capital
  • If the savings that you or your partner hold in the bank increases or decreases.
  • If there is a change in the amount of premium bonds or stocks and shares held.
  • If you or your partner sell or become the owner of property.
  • If you or your partner inherit capital.
Household
  • If anyone moves in or out of the household.
  • If a child turns 18 years (and what their income is).
  • If a household member becomes or stops being a student.
  • If a new child joins the household.
  • Increases or decreases in childcare costs.
Rent
Personal details
  • If you become a couple.
  • If you go into hospital or prison.
  • You or your partner goes into a nursing home.
  • You are temporarily absent from your address for more than four weeks because you are outside Great Britain.
  • You are temporarily absent from your normal home for any other reason.
  • Starting or ceasing to become a student.

Reporting a change

If your circumstances have changed or are about to change, you must tell us immediately in order to avoid having to pay money back to us.

Report change of circumstances online

Alternatively, forms for the following circumstances are available to download below:

Time limits

If you delay in telling us when a change happens, we may pay you the wrong amount. We need to know of the change as soon as is reasonably possible.

If the change increases your entitlement, we may only be able to apply the change from the date that you let us know.

However, if the change reduces your entitlement, you may be overpaid from the date of change. You will probably have to pay the overpayment back.

It may be considered fraud if you continue to receive Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction when you are not entitled.

Evidence

In most cases, we will need to see evidence of the change before we can reassess the award.

If you are worried that it may take longer than expected to get the information we need, please contact us.

Last modified on 24 June 2026
Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit Enquiries