When to notify Housing Benefit of change in circumstance?

Tomcrookes

Hello all,

First post, hoping you could help me out with this one. Had a search but couldn't find anything.

I claim Housing Benefits as I am employed but on a very low income. My income has recently increased to a point where I think I will still be due some benefits but not as much as I claim now.

I started the job a few weeks back and today attempted to fill in the online forms to inform of a change in circumstance.

However the last page on the online form says you must support your change in circumstance with evidence (which as I am paid monthly has to be my two most recent wage slips.)

Now as I am only just starting I won't have my first payslip until Mid May and the second Mid June. However they say you must inform them immediately when any change occurs with supporting evidence, but I won't get the supporting evidence until I have worked there a 2-3 months!

I gave them a call and they are closed until Monday, was hoping to get this sorted over the weekend. Any ideas much appreciated!

Thanks

[Deleted User]

best idea is give them a call as early as you can monday(quieter early on)and explain,then see what they want from you

Kimberley

As long as they have your new wage written down then they will assess you without the supporting evidence for now. They will just ask you to send the evidence in as you get them but in the meantime you can ask your employer for a temporary breakdown of your monthly wage to give to the benefits office for them to go by. That is what I did. Phone them up on Monday though or go to the office in person if you can so that it is on record that you have notified them about the changes.

Tomcrookes

Thanks guys,

Of course their phone system is down today so I just explained the situation in full online and submitted that way.

I am sure 3-4 months of poverty await while they process the claim.

Tom

Runningwithscissors

You can provide your contract, or a letter from your employer showing your expected earnings/contracted hours and they can re-calc based on that until they get proof of your actual wage (bear in mind that if your actual wage is higher, there may be some overpayment if calc'd on expected earnings).
It may be that your local HB dept send you a form to be completed by your employer, which they CAN complete to show expected earnings.
You need to provide some form of proof (as I said before, this can be proof of contracted hours/expected earnings) straight away - your claim will not be reassessed until they have some form of proof of your expected or actual earnings.
There will be an overpayment already as your wage has increased and you haven't told them straight away - they will probably suspend the claim until they get something upon which they can base the assessment of your claim, which is why you should get it to them as soon as possible. : )