Hounslow Council Tax Support Change of Circumstances

The 21-Day Reporting Window

When something changes in your household or finances, you have 21 days to tell Hounslow Council. This isn't a guideline — it's a legal obligation under the local scheme rules. Report late and the council can claw back any excess support you received during the gap, adding it straight onto your council tax bill.

Report changes through the Hounslow "Report a Change of Circumstances" portal online. Don't rely on the DWP or HMRC to pass the information along — even if your Universal Credit adjusts automatically, the legal duty to notify Hounslow sits with you personally.

What You Need to Report

Income changes that shift your band:

• Starting or stopping work
• A pay rise or reduction that crosses an income band threshold
• Changes in self-employed earnings
• Your partner starting or stopping work

Household composition:

• A partner moving in or out
• A non-dependant adult (such as a grown child) moving in or out, or their income changing
• A child leaving the household or turning 18
• The death of a household member

Capital changes:

• Savings or investments crossing the £16,000 threshold (this ends eligibility entirely)
• Receiving an inheritance or lump sum
• Selling property

Benefit changes:

• Starting or losing Carer's Allowance or the UC Carer Element (this toggles the 90% carer protection)
• Changes to disability benefits that affect a non-dependant deduction exemption

Address:

• Moving within Hounslow — your award transfers but the council needs the new property details
• Moving into Hounslow from another borough — you need a completely new application; support doesn't follow you between councils

What Happens After You Report

The council recalculates your award and issues a revised CTS Decision Notice and Council Tax bill. If the change increases your support (for example, losing a job drops you into Band 1), the higher award applies from the date the change happened — provided you reported within 21 days. Report after 21 days and the improvement only kicks in from the notification date, costing you the difference.

If the change reduces your support, the reduction takes effect from when the change occurred regardless of when you report. The council adds the difference to your bill as excess CTS.

The Moving-In Exception

New to Hounslow? If you apply for Council Tax Reduction in the same calendar week that your liability at the new property begins, the award starts from your exact move-in date. Miss that week and it starts the following Monday. Either way, you need a fresh application — there's no transfer between boroughs.

Our Hounslow Council Tax Reduction guide includes a change-reporter worksheet that lists every reportable event and walks you through the online notification process.

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