The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006

Duty to notify changes of circumstances E+W+S

88.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (5), if at any time between the making of a claim and a decision being made on it, or during the award of housing benefit, there is a change of circumstances which the claimant, or any person by whom or on whose behalf sums payable by way of housing benefit are receivable, might reasonably be expected to know might affect the claimant's right to, the amount of or the receipt of housing benefit, that person shall be under a duty to notify that change of circumstances by giving notice in writing to the designated office.

(2) In the case of a claimant who sent or delivered his claim to a gateway office in accordance with regulation 84 (date of claim where claim sent or delivered to a gateway office), a change of circumstances may be reported in writing to that office, or to any other gateway office of which he was notified on or with his claim form.

(3) The duty imposed on a person by paragraph (1) does not extend to changes in—

(a) the amount of rent payable to a housing authority;

(b) the age of the claimant or that of any member of his family or of any non-dependants;

(c) these Regulations;

(d) in the case of a claimant on income support, any circumstances which affect the amount of income support or an income-based jobseeker's allowance but not the amount of housing benefit to which he is entitled, other than the cessation of that entitlement to income support or an income-based jobseeker's allowance.

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3)(b) or (d) a claimant shall be required by paragraph (1) to notify the designated office of any change in the composition of his family arising from the fact that a person who was a member of his family is now no longer such a person because he ceases to be a child or young person.

(5) Where a person resides in a postcode district identified in Part I or 2 of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations 1999 M1 , he may notify the change of circumstances by giving notice in writing to any office of a designated authority displaying the ONE logo.

Marginal Citations

M1 S.I. 1999/3108.