Report a Change of Circumstances for Council Tax Support in Nottingham

Reporting to the Council Is Separate From Reporting to the DWP

If you receive both Universal Credit and Council Tax Support in Nottingham, changes reported to the DWP do not automatically update your council tax records. The two systems are separate. You must report changes directly to Nottingham City Council through their online "Report a Change" portal at nottinghamcity.gov.uk.

This catches many UC claimants off guard. They update their UC journal when their hours change or a non-dependant moves in, assume the information flows through, and are later hit with an overpayment demand from the council.

What You Must Report

Report any of these changes immediately:

• Income changes — report changes in earnings, including a pay rise, a new part-time job, overtime that becomes regular, or a drop in hours. The £5 threshold applies to a change in calculated support, not to the amount your income changes.
• Non-dependant changes — an adult child, friend, or lodger moves in or out of your home
• Capital changes — savings cross above or below the £6,000 working-age limit (a lump-sum payment, an inheritance, or spending down savings)
• Moving address — including a move within Nottingham that changes your property band
• Changes to your Universal Credit award — particularly large month-to-month swings

The £5 Per Week Buffer

Not every change triggers a bill adjustment. Nottingham applies a £5-per-week buffer to working-age awards: if a change alters your calculated support by less than £5 per week in either direction, your bill stays the same.

This means small income fluctuations — typical for zero-hours contracts and UC monthly assessments — do not generate constant bill revisions. Your monthly instalments remain stable until the cumulative effect of all in-year changes crosses the £5 threshold, or the financial year ends and everything is recalculated.

You still need to report the change even if you think it falls within the buffer. The council decides whether the threshold is crossed, not you.

What Happens If You Report Late

If an unreported change means you received more Council Tax Support than you should have, the council creates an overpayment on your account. The excess support is reversed, adding the amount back to your council tax bill. Your monthly instalments increase to recover the balance across the remaining payment schedule.

If the council's Corporate Counter Fraud Team determines that non-disclosure was intentional, civil penalties can be imposed on top of the recovered amount.

The risk runs the other direction too. If your income drops, report it promptly so the council can reassess your award.

How to Report

Use the online change of circumstances form on the Nottingham City Council website. You will need your council tax reference number and details of the specific change. Supporting evidence (payslips showing the new income, a bank statement showing the capital change) should be uploaded at the same time.

The Nottingham Council Tax Reduction guide includes an income change log and a change-of-circumstances checklist to help you track what needs reporting and when.

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