CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES


When you made a claim for Housing and Council Tax Benefit (or both), you signed a declaration that said that you would let us know about any change of circumstance for you or anyone living with you that could affect your claim.

If your circumstances change, you must tell the council’s Benefit section as it may affect your benefit entitlement. You must report all changes for you and your partner (if you have one) and anyone else living with you, within one month of the change. To report a change in circumstance you can either contact the council’s benefit department by telephone, in person, email or in writing (see contact details below).

Please Note: You may need to provide documentary evidence of the change, you will be advised of this if necessary.

Examples of changes, which must be reported to the Benefits section, are changes to:
  • Your income and savings or your rent
  • If you move to a different address or if you go into hospital, or any absence from the dwelling likely to exceed thirteen weeks
  • Changes to the number or income of people living in your household
  • If you or someone who lives with you starts to receive or stops receiving Income Support/Job Seeker’s Allowance/Employment Support Allowance
  • If a child ceases full time education or takes up full time work
  • You get married, form a civil partnership or start living with someone as
if you are married or civil partners
If you are not sure please ask us.

Why do I need to tell you straight away?
Any delay in telling us about a change could result in you losing out on potential benefit. In this situation any change in circumstance that may increase your benefit will start from the day you tell us, not the date it happened.
You may have to repay any overpaid benefits if you delay or fail to tell us about a change in circumstance.

How should I tell you and what proof of the change do I need to provide?

A telephone call to the council’s benefits office may be all that is needed and you will be advised of any evidence that may be required to support what has changed. Alternatively you can download the leaflet.
CHANGEINCIRCUMSTANCES00 (pdf file) To report a change you can download the leaflet entitled ‘Important Information about your Housing and Council Tax Benefit, please click here.

Contacting Us

If you would like more information or advice you can:

Write to us at:
Isle of Wight Council
Revenues Division
Council Offices
Broadway
Sandown
Isle of Wight
PO36 9EA

Telephone on: - 01983 823950.
Late night opening for telephone enquiries every Wednesday until 6pm.


Email - [email protected]

In Person – you can visit us at any of our local offices
Opening Times - 8.30 am – 5.00 pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and 8.30 am – 4.30 pm Fridays. Closed all day Tuesday


CHANGEINCIRCUMSTANCES00 Please note: pdf documents may take a while to download over a standard 56K modem. If you do not have a version of acrobat reader - this can be downloaded via our downloads section.



Page last updated on: 30/10/2012