Change of circumstances

You can let us know about a change in your circumstances (e.g. change in your income or household) quickly and easily online:

Please email photos of any supporting proof to benefits@north-herts.gov.uk. DO NOT send original documents to us.

You should report all changes of circumstances immediately. It is a criminal offence not to report a change.

If you don't tell us about any change in your circumstances which increases your benefit, within one calendar month of the change happening, your benefit will only increase from the Monday after we receive the notification unless you can show us that there was a very good reason for the delay.

Failure to report a change in circumstances may result in an overpayment of benefit which will be recoverable from you.

Examples of changes that you need to notify us of:

• changes to your tenancy
• changes involving non-dependants
• changes in the membership of your household
• absence from home of more than 13 weeks or likely to exceed 13 weeks
• changes involving children, or to child tax credits and child benefit
• changes to any capital over £16,000 (or changes which may take it over £16,000)
• changes to the income and capital of a partner not included in his/her Pension Credit Claim

If the claimant or partner on your claim is under pensionable age you must report:

• the end of your (or any partner’s) entitlement to any state benefit.
• changes where a child or young person ceases to be a member of the family – ie. when child benefit stops and they leave education or start work, or he or she leaves the household.
• if anyone joins your household (including lodgers or tenants), including the birth of a child.
• if you or your partner start work.
• if you or your partner start to receive any other income or benefits.
• if you or your partner have more than £6000 in savings.

This list is not exhaustive; please contact us if you are not sure.

If the claimant of the partner on your claim is of pensionable age and receiving Pension Credit Guarantee Credit you must report the following:

• changes in the detail of your letting
• changes affecting the residence or income of any non-dependant
• absences exceeding or likely to exceed 13 weeks
• the death of anyone in the household.

If you are a claimant (or any partner who is of pension age) who has not claimed Pension Credit or does not qualify for Pension Credit, you must notify us of all increases in income capital and any changes of occupation to your household.

Additional matters for claimants on savings credit

• changes affecting any child living with you (other than age) which might affect the amount of housing benefit or council tax benefit claimed
• changes to child tax credit or child benefit
• changes to capital which take it (or may take it) above £16,000
• changes to a non-dependant if their  income and capital was being treated as the claimant’s
• changes to a partner who was ignored in assessing savings credit but is taken into account for housing benefit or council tax benefit

Data matching

We sometimes match your income data, like earnings and occupational pension details, with that held at Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to make sure your entitlement is correct. If there is a discrepancy and you have been overpaid, we will require this to be paid back, and depending on the circumstances we may report to the DWP that a possible fraud has taken place. So make sure you tell us about your changes straight away, rather than wait for any data matching to take place.