Amendment of the Council Tax Benefit Regulations 2006
7. After regulation 74(1) (duty to notify changes of circumstances) of the Council Tax Benefit Regulations 2006(2) insert—
“Alternative means of notifying changes of circumstances
74ZA.—(1) In such cases and subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State may specify, the duty in regulation 74(1) to notify a change of circumstances may be discharged by notifying the Secretary of State—
(a)where the change of circumstances is a birth or death, through a relevant authority, or a county council in England, by personal attendance at an office specified by that authority or county council, provided the Secretary of State has agreed with that authority or county council for it to facilitate such notification; or
(b)where the change of circumstances is a death, by telephone to a telephone number specified for that purpose by the Secretary of State.
(2) Paragraph (1) only applies if the authority administering the claimant’s council tax benefit agrees with the Secretary of State that notifications may be made in accordance with that paragraph.
(3) The Secretary of State must forward information received in accordance with paragraph (1) to the authority administering the claimant’s council tax benefit.”.
The relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2006/2967, 2008/2299 and 2008/2987.