Important benefit changes: Has your benefit been sanctioned?
If your Job Seekers Allowance or Employment Support Allowance is sanctioned and you're in receipt of Housing Benefit you need to
ring us immediately on 0300 303 8870. If you don't contact us we may stop paying your Housing Benefit until you do so.
It's important you tell us immediately if your circumstances change as you may get too little or too much benefit.
It's an offence not to tell us about any change of circumstance that affects your benefit. We may take court action against you and if we pay you too much benefit, you'll probably have to pay it back.
Report changes to your circumstances
Select the relevant form to download, print and complete.
How to tell us
Tell us by email, to revenues.benefits@rochdale.gov.uk
Tell us in writing, to PO Box 490, Rochdale, OL16 9AJ
Tell us by phone, on 0300 303 8870
Tell us in person, by calling into one of our Customer Service Centres Centres at:
Changes in your circumstances which you need to tell us about
Don’t forget to tell us as soon as possible if your circumstances change.
Here are some examples of the types of changes that you need to tell us about:
-
A change to your home details: for example, you change address, your rent changes or you get a new landlord.
-
A change to your or your partner’s benefits: for example, you start or stop receiving Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance or Employment Support Allowance.
- A change to your or your partner’s income: for example, your earnings change, you get a new job, you stop or start work or self-employment.
- A change to your or your partner’s savings or capital: for example, you open a new bank account, you close a bank account, you buy or sell some property, you inherit property or the amount in your bank account increases or decreases.
- A change to who lives with you: for example someone moves in or moves out or a birth, bereavement, marriage or divorce.
- A change affecting people who live with you: for example they start or finish work, college or university, they have a change to their benefit, they claim a new benefit, or stop receiving a benefit, their income increases or decreases.
- A change affecting your children: your child starts or changes school or college, you start or stop paying childcare or the amount of childcare costs change, your child benefit stops.
- If you or your partner go abroad for more than four weeks, or you will be away from your home for more than 13 weeks but will not be going abroad.
If you’re not sure – tell us anyway.