Reporting a Change of Circumstances for Council Tax Reduction in County Durham

The 21-Day Reporting Rule

If you receive Council Tax Reduction in County Durham, you're legally required to report any material change in your household circumstances to the council within 21 days of the change. This is a separate obligation from telling the DWP about changes to your Universal Credit — notifying the DWP does not count as notifying Durham County Council.

Failing to report on time can result in an overpayment, where the council recalculates your CTR back to the date the change actually happened and debits the excess from your Council Tax account. You end up with a larger bill than expected, sometimes months after the fact.

What You Must Report

Changes that affect your CTR assessment include:

• Income changes — report changes in net wages or employment status that may move your household into a different band. Changes that leave you in the same band do not change your discount; the council determines which band applies
• Non-dependant changes — an adult moving into or out of your home, or a change in a non-dependant's benefit status that affects whether the £10 weekly deduction is waived
• Capital changes — savings reaching or crossing the £6,000 tariff threshold or the £10,000 disqualification limit
• Household composition — a partner moving in or out, a child turning 18
• Moving house — your CTR is linked to your current address; moving ends the award at the old property and you'll need to claim fresh at the new one
• Disability benefit changes — starting or stopping PIP, DLA, or other qualifying benefits that affect non-dependant deduction waivers

How the Income Band System Handles Changes

One advantage of Durham's banded scheme over the old means-tested model: if your income changes but stays within the same band, the council doesn't issue a revised decision notice and your discount stays exactly the same.

For example, if your assessed income goes from £90 to £120 per week, you're still in Band 2 (£70–£125) and your 75% discount doesn't change. Under the old system, that £30 increase would have triggered a full reassessment and a revised bill.

A new decision notice only goes out when a change moves you across a band boundary.

What Happens If You Don't Report

The council recalculates your CTR retroactively to the date the unreported change took effect. If the recalculation shows you were overpaid, the excess is added back to your Council Tax account as an additional charge. You receive a revised demand notice with adjusted instalments.

If a late report results in an excess award, the council recalculates your liability from the effective date of the change and debits the excess from your Council Tax account.

How to Report Changes

The simplest route is through Durham County Council's online portal or by calling Customer Services on 03000 26 0000. Keep a note of when you reported and what reference number you were given — if there's ever a dispute about timing, that record matters.

The County Durham Council Tax Reduction guide includes a change-of-circumstances checklist and a communication log template for tracking what you reported and when.

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