Changes to your circumstances affecting benefits

You must tell us straight away if your circumstances change.

For example, you must tell us if:

• any of your children leave school or college or leave home
• anyone moves in or out of your home, including lodgers and subtenants
• there are any changes in your or your partner's income or source of income – for example, starting or stopping to get a social security benefit, your earnings increase, your hours at work increase or decrease
• your tax credits change, or you start or stop getting tax credits
• a pension from a previous employer changes or you start to get a pension from a previous employer
• the income of any adults or children living with you stops, starts or changes, including any benefits

It is also important that you let us know if:

• your capital or savings change
• you or anyone living with you becomes a student or stops being a student
• you go on or stop being on a youth training scheme
• you go into or leave hospital or a nursing home
• you go into or come out of prison
• you change or leave a job
• your rent changes, but not if you are a council tenant
• you move, including changing rooms in the same property
• you or your partner are going to be away from home for 4 weeks or more
• you or anyone living with you start work
• you receive any decision from the Home Office

This is not a full list. If you are not sure, ask us for advice. We can also tell you whether your evidence has to be an original document, or if it can be a photocopy.

Remember, if you do not tell us when something important changes, it could affect your benefit and we might begin legal proceedings.