While a person is entitled to benefit, they must tell us immediately there is any change in their circumstances that could affect their benefit claim.

Examples of such changes are:

• Changes to your income or savings, or that of your partner, or any of the people that live with you
• Anyone living with you, who is not in full time education, reaches 18 years of age
• A change in the number of people living in your household
• Any person living in your household, who starts to receive, or stops receiving, Income Support.
• Any child who ceases to be in full time education.
• Any young person who starts work full time.
• A change of address.
• You or your partner enters hospital.
• A change in the amount of rent you are required to pay.

When a claim is reassessed due to a change in circumstances, a letter will be sent to you explaining the reasons why your claim has been reassessed and will detail any under or overpayment that there has been in your benefit entitlement.

This letter will also advise you of your appeal rights, should you disagree with this reassessment.

If there has been an underpayment, this will be added to your next benefit payment.

If you have been overpaid and are still in receipt of benefit, the overpayment will be recovered by making a deduction from your ongoing benefit entitlement. Therefore, you will be expected to make up any subsequent shortfall in the amount of rent that you have to pay.

Should you no longer be entitled to receive benefit, an invoice will be issued to you to repay the total amount of the overpayment. Arrangements can be made to repay this amount by instalments.

Change of Circumstances form (downloadable version to print, fill in and send back)