When your Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction award starts, your award will continue until your circumstances change. A change could be something affecting you, your partner or anybody else who lives with you and it could increase or reduce your award or stop you being entitled to Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction altogether.
Report Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction Change of Circumstances online
If your circumstances change, it is your legal responsibility to advise us of this so that your benefit can be amended.
Supporting evidence
Any evidence required in support of your application can be uploaded at the same time you complete the form, or, emailed to us at customers.benefits@dudley.gov.uk.
Emailing can be done via a smartphone, by taking a clear photograph of the evidence, or if you have a scanner, scan the evidence and email it. The evidence checklist at the end of your completed application will provide you with the details we require. However, there may be certain instances where we require original documentation, if this is requested, please post this to us. An extension on the timescales may be allowed in these circumstances.
Reviewing your claim
If you have recently been contacted by office and have been asked to complete a review form, please complete the form below.
What changes do you need to tell us about?
When and how should you report a change of circumstances?
You should report your change in circumstances as soon as you are aware of the change. If you delay in reporting the change you may:
- miss out on additional benefits that you are entitled to
- be overpaid benefit which will need to be paid back
- have actions (including prosecution) taken against you
You must report your change of circumstance by completing the online form (above) or in person at our Benefits Enquiry Counter within Dudley Council Plus.
You must provide any evidence of the change i.e. original wage slips, etc. Please note we cannot accept photocopies.
What happens if you don’t report a change of circumstance?
If you do not report your change at the correct time you may be being paid too much Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction. Any amount overpaid will have to be paid back.
If you have been overpaid Housing Benefit we will ask you or, in some cases, your landlord, to repay the money overpaid. If you are still entitled to Housing Benefit, the amount of Housing Benefit you are paid will be reduced until the full amount has been recovered. If you no longer qualify for Housing Benefit you will be issued an invoice for the overpaid amount.
If you have been overpaid a Council Tax Reduction, the amount you have been overpaid will be added to your council tax account and revised instalments will be issued.
