Tell DWP if your circumstances change
Do you receive Universal Credit or any other benefits from the government?
When you are getting Universal Credit you must tell the DWP if some things in your life change. This is called a ‘change of circumstances’. If your circumstances change, you must tell DWP as soon as this happens to make sure you receive the correct amount of financial support and do not fall into debt.
It’s important you check your information is not out of date because you may:
- be entitled to more financial support from the government than you realise
- be overpaid, which means overpayments need to be paid back
- be giving us false information. You could be doing this unknowingly, but it could still mean you have to pay a penalty or be taken to court. It might also affect how much you can get in the future.
If you receive Universal Credit, it’s part of your ‘claimant commitment’ that you tell DWP about a change to your circumstances.
You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.
What does a change to your circumstances mean? Ask yourself, has your personal or financial situation changed since you started receiving benefits? If so, find out more about what a change of circumstances might look like and how to report a change. You can update your information at any time.
