Change of circumstances

What to do

If anything happens during claiming or after your benefit has been paid, which might affect how much benefit you get, you must tell us immediately. 

If you don't tell us about a change, and we pay you too much benefit, you may have to pay it back plus a penalty charge in some cases

Please tell us if...

• you or your partner start or stop getting Universal Credit, Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance (income based) or Employment Support Allowance or any other pension or benefit.
• you or your partner start or stop getting Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit
• the money you or your partner gets increases or decreases
• the money non-dependants (other adults living with you) get increases or decreases
• there are any other changes in the money people in your home get. For example, someone starts getting Carers Allowance
• Someone moves in or out of your home
• you change your address
• the number of people in your home changes - for example, someone has a baby or someone moves out
• a partner comes to live with you
• a partner leaves
• you, or your partner, go into hospital for more than six weeks
• you, or your partner, become a student, or stop being a student
• the amount of savings or capital you have changes

You do not have to tell us about changes in age (for example, if one your children becomes 11 years old), as we will have this information already, but tell us if a child leaves school or college.

If you get Pension Credit (Guarantee credit), you must tell the Pension Service about any changes in your circumstances which may affect your entitlement. You can contact the pension service on 0845 60 60 265 (textphone 0845 60 60 285).

Last Updated on Thursday, March 2, 2023