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If you get Housing Benefit you have a legal duty to tell us about any changes in your circumstances that may affect your benefit. You must tell us in writing, immediately, even if you have not got the relevant documents yet.
A change of circumstance is an event that changes your entitlement to Housing Benefit, for example, a change in income or savings, or someone moving into or out of your household.
You must tell us about any change in your circumstances as soon as possible. You must tell us in writing, but if possible you should also phone us so that we can advise you if we need extra information from you. If you do not tell us we may pay you too much Housing Benefit and you may have to pay back the overpayment.
You must tell us about any change even if you have told another agency, for example the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or the Pension Service.
Below are some examples of the types of change you must tell us about; this is not a complete list:
You may be entitled to extended payments if you are starting work or increasing your hours.
We will need to see evidence of any change
If you are in doubt, tell us anyway.
If you delay telling us about a change that would increase your Housing Benefit entitlement we may not be able to backdate the change to when it happened. Instead we may only increase your entitlement from when you tell us. If you delay telling us you may lose out.
If you delay telling us about a change that would decrease your entitlement you will have been overpaid. If you have been overpaid, you may have to pay it back.
If you don't tell us about changes when they happen you may be committing Housing Benefit fraud. In these cases we may prosecute you.
The sooner you tell us, the less chance there is of you being overpaid Housing Benefit which you may have to pay back. You can ask us to suspend paying your claim until we reassess it, if the change is likely to reduce your Housing Benefit.
You need to tell us in writing or complete an application form. You will also need to provide evidence of the change .
E-mail:
Benefits@thanet.gov.uk
Tel: 01843 577552
from 9am to 5.30pm.
Fax: 01843 577532
or Visit our offices