How Does Benefit Stay Correct?

Reviewing your claim

We will need to look at your claim from time to time to make sure your benefit is correct, this is known as a review.

If this needs to be done you will either:

• Receive a shortened claim form to complete
• Receive a visit from one of our officers
• Receive a telephone call from one of our officers

Keeping your claim right

The law says you must tell us if there is any changes to the information we have used to decide on your entitlement to benefit.

You have to tell us:

• From the moment you’ve filled in your claim form, even if you’re still waiting to hear from us straightaway!
• Even if you’ve told someone else like the Jobcentre Plus, the Pension Service or your landlord
• In writing

If you delay in telling us:

• We may pay you too much benefit and you’ll have to pay it back
• You won’t get back pay if you take too long to tell us something that would give you more benefit
• You could face criminal charges

Changes you have to report

You need to tell us straightaway about any change that could affect your benefit. The most common are:

Changes in income

• Wages, maintenance, works pensions, tax credits
• If any sort of income starts, stops or goes up or down
• If you start or stop work

Changes in benefit

• If you start or stop getting Income Support
• If you start or stop getting Jobseeker’s Allowance
• If any other benefit starts or stops or the amount changes
• When a tax credit like Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit starts or stops or the amount changes

People who live with you

• If anyone comes to live with you or moves out
• If anyone who lives with you starts or stops work
• If there is any change in the income of someone who lives with you
• If you have a baby
• If a child leaves school

Bank accounts, savings, investments

• If there is any change in your bank accounts, savings, holdings of stocks, shares, although you do not need to tell us about the minor day-to-day ups and downs of a current account. Neither do you have to tell us about changes in the value on the Stock Market of the stocks and shares that you have

Private rents

• If your landlord puts your rent up or down
• If the services included in your rent change
• If you rent one room in a property and you move to a different room

If you are a council tenant, you do not need to tell us about changes to your rent.

And there are many more...

• Moving
• Living away from home
• If you become a student or finish your course
• If you go into hospital
• A change of landlord

This is not a complete list!

A change in circumstances form can be downloaded and completed from our forms page.