Housing and Council Tax Benefits
Changes in your circumstances
If you are entitled to benefit and your circumstances change you must inform us immediately. If you don't, you may receive too much or too little Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. Some of the more common changes are listed below:
- Any changes in your (or your partner's) income or the source of your income (such as if you stop getting one Social Security benefit and receive another, if your earnings increase or your hours at work reduce)
- Any change in the circumstances of people living in your home (such as starting work or leaving school)
- Changes in the number of people in your home (such as children leaving home or taking in a lodger)
If we pay you more Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit than you are entitled to because you did not tell us about a change in your circumstances straightaway, you will have to repay us the overpaid benefit.
If we pay you too little benefit because you did not tell us about a change in your circumstances straightaway, you may lose the right to the arrears of underpaid benefit.
If you are not sure if the change in your circumstances will affect your benefit, tell us about it straightaway.
Change in circumstance form - Word 
51K
Change in circumstance form - PDF 
28K
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How to tell us
You can tell us of a change in circumstances at any of the Council offices or if you go to our One Stop Shop in Barking or 90 Stour Road in Dagenham we can offer a 'while you wait' service. If you bring your proof of any changes along with documentary evidence we can assess your change in front of you and tell you how much benefit you will get.
Barking
2 Town Square
Barking
IG11 7NB
Opening hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9am - 7pm
Wednesday and Saturday: 9am - 5pm
Dagenham
Dagenham
RM10 7JD
Tel: 020 8227 2970
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday: 8.30am - 5pm
Or contact us:
Tel: 020 8227 2970
Fax: 020 8227 2574
Textphone: 020 8227 2413
You can also email us: benefits@lbbd.gov.uk|
If there is a change of circumstances you will be required to provide original documents as evidence before your benefit will be changed.
