Rochdale Borough Council

It's important you tell us immediately if your circumstances change as you may get too little or too much benefit. We'll only use the information you provide to update your benefits.

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

You'll need to have a MyAccount to tell us about changes to your circumstances.

1. Sign in or register for MyAccount using the link below.
2. Add your benefits account, if you haven't done so already. You'll need your 9 digit benefits reference number which you can find on your notification letters. You'll also need to answer a few security questions.
3. From your online benefits account, follow the link for report changes to your circumstances to complete the online form. 
4. The form will automatically save every time you answer a question. This means you can resume a partially completed form when you log back in.
5. Once you've completed the form, please read the evidence checklist at the end of the form carefully and make note of the evidence you'll need to provide to ensure there's no delay in updating your benefits. The evidence checklist will tell you how you can send your evidence to us.
6. We'll process your change of circumstances. We aim to do this within 3 weeks of receiving your completed form and all required evidence. In some cases it can take longer.

 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 you or your partner’s benefits: for example, you start or stop receiving Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment Support Allowance.
• A change to you 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 you 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 4 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.