About your circumstances

Why do you need to know about my circumstances?

The amount of Housing Benefit you are entitled to depends on your circumstances, this is why we will have asked you a lot of detailed questions about your income and your savings and is also why we ask for evidence of the information you give us.

For example, if you do not tell us that you have recently been employed part-time then this could result in you receiving more Housing Benefit than you are entitled to, causing an overpayment of Housing Benefit, which you will be required to pay back.

What circumstances affect my entitlement?

There are a number of circumstances that can affect how much Housing Benefit you are entitled to. The pages in this section will explain them.

Change in circumstances

It is very important you tell us if any of your circumstances change so that you are paid the correct amount and we avoid overpaying you, as you will be expected to repay overpaid benefits.

You will need to have ready:

  • Your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction reference number. These are 9 digit numbers beginning with 500, e.g. 500123456
  • Your National Insurance number

Report a change in your circumstances

Periodic claim reviews

We are required to carry out reviews of all claims from time to time to ensure you are receiving the correct amount of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction you are entitled to. When requested, you must complete a postal review form to confirm your current circumstances.

If you have received a letter asking you to complete this form, you must do so as soon as possible and return it within the required time-frame. If the form is not received when requested, you may lose your entitlement to the benefit/s.

Download Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction postal review form