Reporting Changes of Circumstances for Wandsworth Council Tax Reduction

The One-Calendar-Month Rule

Once you are receiving Council Tax Reduction in Wandsworth, you are legally required to report changes in household size, income, capital, or benefit entitlement to the Benefits Service within one calendar month of the change.

Missing the deadline may lead to the loss of backdated adjustments or an overpayment. Telling the DWP or Universal Credit about a change does not satisfy the requirement to notify Wandsworth Council.

What You Must Report

Any change that could affect your eligibility or award level:

Income changes:

• Starting a new job, losing a job, or changing hours
• A pay rise or pay cut
• Starting or stopping self-employment
• A change in your Universal Credit assessment (new elements added, elements removed, or earnings fluctuation)

Household changes:

• Someone moves in or moves out (a partner, an adult child, a friend)
• A new baby or a child leaving home
• Getting married, separating, or starting to live together as a couple
• A non-dependant's income changing

Capital changes:

• Receiving an inheritance, a lump sum payment, or a redundancy payout
• Selling property or land
• Savings exceeding the capital limit for your scheme: £6,000 for Schemes 4 and 5, or £16,000 for Schemes 1, 2, and 3

Benefit changes:

• A new benefit award (PIP, DLA, Carer's Allowance) — this could move you to a higher scheme level
• A benefit stopping or reducing
• A migration notice from DWP moving you from legacy benefits to Universal Credit

Property changes:

• Moving home: notify the Council immediately and make a new claim or address change declaration; awards do not transfer automatically between addresses.
• A temporary absence from your home expected to exceed 13 weeks, or up to 52 weeks in specific statutory cases such as hospital care

How to Report

Contact the Benefits Service by:

• Online: Through your account on the Wandsworth benefits portal
• Email: [email protected] with your council tax account number
• Phone: 020 8871 8081
• In person: The Town Hall Customer Centre, Wandsworth High Street, SW18 2PU

Include the date the change happened, what changed, and any supporting evidence (a new payslip, a UC assessment statement, a tenancy agreement).

What Happens After You Report

Wandsworth reassesses your CTR claim using the information you provide and will notify you of any change to your award. Check the decision and your revised bill against your records.

Overpayments

If Wandsworth tells you that your claim was overpaid, ask for a written calculation and check the dates and figures. If you disagree with the decision, you can request a local review within one calendar month of receiving the notification letter.

The Wandsworth Council Tax Reduction guide includes a change of circumstances tracker that logs each change, its report date, and the one-calendar-month deadline — useful for keeping evidence that you reported on time if an overpayment dispute arises later.

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