Slough Borough Council: Housing and Council Tax Benefit

Housing and Council Tax Benefit - Current Claim

Change of circumstances

If you are an existing housing and/or council tax benefit recipient and your circumstances change you will need to inform the benefits service immediately to ensure you continue to receive your correct entitlement. You can do so by completing and returning the 'Housing and Council Tax Benefit Change of Circumstances' form.

You must tell us within a month of the change happening. If you don't let us know within one month and the change will entitle you to more benefit, your benefit will only be adjusted from the Monday after you let us know. However, if you will receive less benefit as a result of the change, we can amend the claim from the date that the change occurred. So the longer you wait to tell us about the change, the more money you are likely to have to pay back.

If you need any help or require a home visit to fill in the form, please contact the benefits helpline on 01753 875348/9 or visit the Customer Service Centre.

Examples of the types of changes you should tell us about:

Income - your own and that of anyone else living in your household

if the money received goes up or down

if you or anyone in your household starts or stops receiving any money, for example:

Income Support
Job Seekers Allowance
State Retirement Pensions
Works/Occupational Pensions
Earnings
Working Tax Credit/Child Tax Credit
Child Benefit
Savings or Capital
Rent from sub-tenants or lodgers
Maintenance payments
Any other state Benefits

Accommodation details

If you move to a new home OR
If your rent goes up or down
If you change rooms

Household details

If a child is born
If any of your children leave school or leave home
If you stop receiving Child Benefit for any of your children
If any of your other circumstances change
If anyone moves into or out of your home, including lodgers and subtenants
If you or anyone living with you starts work
If you or anyone living with you becomes a student, goes on a Government training Scheme, goes in hospital or a nursing home, goes into prison or changes or leaves a job
If you receive any decision from the Home Office
If you or your partner are going to be away from home for more than a month

This is not a full list. If you are not sure please ask the benefits section for advice. You must tell us about any changes in writing - a phone call is not enough. If you do not tell us about these changes, you may lose money you are entitled to or you may get too much benefit. Don't rely on someone else to pass the message on.

It is an offence not to tell your council about any change of circumstances that affect your benefit. We may take court action against you and if we pay you too much benefit, you will probably have to pay it back.

Change of address

If you are an existing housing or council tax benefit recipient and you move within the borough you will need to inform the benefits service immediately to ensure you continue to receive your correct entitlement. You will also need to complete the 'Housing and Council Tax Benefit Change of Address' form and return it either by post to the Benefits Service, PO Box 1032, Slough, SL1 3UT or hand it in to the Customer Service Centre.

If you are moving out of the borough you will need to notify the benefits service and will need to contact the local authority in the area you are moving to if you wish to claim housing or council tax benefits at your new address.

If you have just moved into the area you will need to complete a new claim using the 'Claim form for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit'.

If you need any help or require a home visit to fill in the form, please contact the benefits helpline on 01753 875348/9 or visit the customer service centre.

Changes you must tell us about:

For example:

any of your children leave school or leave home
anyone moves into or out of your home, including lodgers and subtenants
your income or the income of anyone living with you, (including benefits), changes
your capital or savings change
you or anyone living with you becomes a student, goes on a Youth Training Scheme, goes into hospital or a nursing home, goes into prison, or changes or leaves a job
your rent changes
you move
you or your partner are going to be away from home for more than a month
you or anyone living with you starts work
you receive any decision from the Home Office

Changes from 7 April 2008 – Local Housing Allowance

If you are already getting Housing Benefit on 7 April 2008, you will not be affected by the new changes that are being introduced unless:

you move address to a home rented from a private landlord – you must tell us if you change address
you have a break in your claim – if you stop claiming Housing Benefit for any reason (for example moving into work) any new claim for benefit will be worked out using the Local Housing Allowance rates

Local Housing Allowance is a new way of working out new claims for Housing Benefit for tenants renting accommodation from a private landlord in Slough and nationally. It also affects tenants already getting Housing Benefit who move into accommodation rented from a private landlord. Local Housing Allowance is being introduced on 7 April, 2008. If you live in council accommodation or other social housing, Local Housing Allowance will not affect you.

Below you can find more information under the elsewhere heading.