Reporting a Change of Circumstances for Council Tax in East Riding

The 21-Day Reporting Duty

If you receive Council Tax Support in East Riding of Yorkshire, you must report any change in your household circumstances in writing or through the online portal within 21 days of the change happening. This isn't optional — late reporting can lead to overpayment recovery, where the council recalculates your award and adds the excess amount back onto your bill.

What You Must Report

The council's list of reportable changes covers anything that could affect your income band, capital position or household composition:

• Income changes — a new job, a pay rise, losing your job, starting or stopping overtime, self-employment income going up or down
• Universal Credit changes — any change to your UC elements (the council gets DWP data automatically, but the feed runs weeks behind; reporting directly ensures faster processing)
• Capital exceeding £6,000 — report if your combined bank balances, ISAs or investments go above this limit
• Non-dependant changes — an adult aged 18+ moving into or out of your home, or a non-dependant starting or stopping work (this changes the £25/£10 weekly deduction)
• Household changes — a partner moving in or out, a child turning 18, someone leaving for university
• Moving home — your council tax liability changes with your address

How to Report

You have two routes:

1. Online through eastriding.gov.uk/mycounciltax — log in and submit the change through the benefits section
2. In writing — email or letter to the council's revenues and benefits team

Phone calls can flag the change, but the council requires written confirmation. Call first if you want to, but follow up in writing to create a paper trail and meet the 21-day requirement.

What Happens If You Don't Report

If a change goes unreported and the council discovers it later — through a DWP data feed, a review form, or a routine audit — they'll recalculate your support from the date the change occurred. Any excess reduction becomes an overpayment, and the council adds that amount to your council tax account as arrears. These arrears are collected through the standard statutory recovery process.

There's no grace period. The 21 days isn't a suggestion — it's the window within which reporting is "on time." After that, you're exposed to full recovery of any excess award.

Changes That Increase Your Support

Reporting isn't just about decreases. If your income drops, a non-dependant moves out, or your UC changes in a way that should lower your assessed income, report the change promptly. The council will recalculate your award; check the revised decision notice for its effective date and updated amount.

For a printable log to track what you've reported and when, the East Riding Council Tax Reduction guide includes a change-of-circumstances tracker alongside the full 21-day reporting rules.

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