Universal Credit claimants risk losing their benefits if they fail to report certain changes to the Department for Work and Pensions.
People who receive the payments must report any changes in their lives which could affect the amount they get from the DWP each month. Known as a change of circumstances, this includes matters like your job status, relationships and children.
The DWP has a specific list of things you must tell them about. And failure to do so may result in you losing your benefits or having to pay back money later on, reports Wales Online. Here are more details about the changes you need to report and what happens if you don't.
Read More: DWP sets out new PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance and Carer's Allowance rates from April 2023
What do I have to tell the DWP about?
You need to report changes to your circumstances so you keep getting the right amount of Universal Credit each month. Any changes should be reported as soon as they happen and any delay may mean you receive too much cash and will have to make a repayment at a later date.
Changes in your circumstances can affect how much you’re paid for your whole assessment period – not just from the date you report them. If you don't report a change or give incorrect information you could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty.
These are the 18 things the DWP considers to be a change in circumstances and which must be reported to the department:
- Finding or finishing a job, even if it's volunteer work, or changes to earnings if self-employed
- Having a baby or adopting or fostering a child
- Changes to living arrangements such as moving in with a partner, or someone in the household going to prison, or the rent for the property changes
- Splitting up with a partner
- Getting married or divorced
- Claimant or claimant’s children start or stop full-time education or any training they were undertaking
- Claimant or partner reach state pension age
- Health changes such as becoming ill or being admitted to hospital
- If someone close to the claimant dies such as their partner, child, or someone they were caring for
- Changes to immigration status
- Changes to bank details
- Changing name or gender
- Plans to go abroad for any length of time
- Changing doctor
- Changes to pension, savings, investments or property
- Changes to other money received (for example student loans or grants, sick pay or money from a charity)
- Changes to the benefits the claimant or anyone else in their house gets
- Claimant or their partner getting back-pay (sometimes called ‘arrears’) for salary or earnings they are owed
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