Reporting a Change of Circumstances for Council Tax Support in Bromley

The 21-Day Reporting Rule

If you're receiving Council Tax Support in Bromley, you're legally required to report any relevant change. Report it within 21 days beginning with the day it occurs, or as soon as reasonably practicable afterwards if that is later. Notice may be given in writing or by phone where Bromley accepts telephone notifications. Late reporting can lead to an overpayment demand for excess CTS.

Reporting to the DWP doesn't count. Even if you've already told Universal Credit about a change, Bromley's Council Tax Support operates on a separate system. Notifying Housing Benefit doesn't update your CTS records either. You must tell the council tax benefits team directly.

What You Must Report

The following changes are mandatory to report:

Income changes:

• Increase or decrease in wages, salary, or contracted hours
• Changes to self-employed earnings or business closure
• Changes to your Universal Credit payment amount or elements added/removed
• Starting or stopping any benefit (PIP, DLA, Carer's Allowance, ESA)

Household changes:

• Someone moving in or out (partner, adult child, lodger)
• A birth or death in the household
• A non-dependant's income changing (this affects the deduction from your award)
• Getting married, entering a civil partnership, or separating

Capital changes:

• Savings crossing the £6,000 threshold (triggers tariff income)
• Savings crossing the £16,000 threshold (disqualifies you entirely)
• Receiving an inheritance, redundancy payment, or lump sum

Address and property:

• Moving to a different address (even within Bromley)
• Leaving the property for an extended period
• Changes to your tenancy or liability status

How to Report Changes

Report changes through any of these channels:

• Online: Through the Benefits changes in circumstances page on the Bromley website
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 0300 303 8670, where Bromley accepts telephone notifications
• Post: Revenues and Benefits Department, Civic Centre, Churchill Court, 2 Westmoreland Road, Bromley, BR1 1AS

Whichever method you use, note the date you reported and keep a copy. If the council later claims you didn't report on time, your records are your defence.

What Happens When You Report

Liberata reassesses your CTS award based on the new information. If the change increases your entitlement (you lost income, for example), a revised bill credits the extra support to your account.

If the change reduces your entitlement — you started earning more, a non-dependant moved in with higher income, your savings increased — the council reduces your award and issues a revised bill with higher instalments.

Most changes affecting your CTS award take effect from the first day of the reduction week after the change occurs. If a change increases your entitlement but you report it more than one month after it occurred, Bromley treats the notification date as the change date. If a late-reported change reduces your support, the applicable effective date can create an excess reduction.

Overpayments and Recovery

An overpayment (called "excess reduction") happens when a recalculation shows you received more CTS than you were entitled to. The council reverses the credit on your council tax account, increasing your balance and issuing revised instalment demands.

If excess CTS was caused by an official error and you could not reasonably have been expected to realise you were being overpaid, you can challenge recovery through the internal review process. A late report can also result in recoverable excess reduction; if you disagree with the decision, use the review process.

The Bromley Council Tax Reduction Guide includes a change-of-circumstances tracking log and a timeline showing exactly when changes affect your award.

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