Change in Circumstances What is a change A

Change in Circumstances

What is a change? • A Change usually occurs once the LA has decided a claim. • The change can be either; ØReconsiderations/Revision ØSupersession ØAdmin Correction

Reconsiderations and Revisions • A Revision usually done as it was incorrectly decided in the first place • Usually requested within a month of the date of the LA decision • A Reconsideration, if requested outside of a month is commonly known as an ‘any time review’ • A Revision usually takes place from the date that the original decision took effect, or should have

Supersession • A Supersession is a new change that has been reported • Usually effective from the Monday after the date that it was reported to the LA • Or, effective from the date of the change if the time limit can be extended • When a decision is superseeded, the supersession does not go right back: there is always a ‘before and after’

Duty to Notify • The claimant has a duty to notify of any ‘relevant’ change that may or may not affect their entitlement • The change must be reported within a calendar month of the date in which the change occurred • Time limit can be extended *

How changes can be notified? • In person • In writing • Via any Designated Office • Coming soon • Online Notifications

Relevant Changes in Circumstance • A change that the claimant or other person could be expected to know might affect; • Entitlement to HB and or CTR • Amount of HB and or CTR • Method of payment, changes in paying the Landlord or Claimant

Changes that must be notified • End of JSA, IS or ESA • Changes to Household • Changes in Rent • Non Dep changes (residency and Income) • Absences likely to exceed 13 weeks • Changes to Capital • Changes in Gross Income

Changes that the claimant need notify • The beginning or end of a Pension Credit award • Changes that affect JSA, ESA and IS but do not affect HB or CTR • Retrospective changes in Social Security Benefit

Determining the Date of Change The General Rule; Ø A change usually takes place from the Monday after the date that the Local Authority was notified Ø Where a change occurs on a Monday, it will be effective from the following Monday

Changes ending and award of HB/CTR • The end of entitlement will be the Sunday in the week that change occurred

Relevant Benefit Rule • What is a Relevant Benefit? • Any Benefit as administered by the DWP. The only exception to this is Child Benefit. • Tax Credit (Working and Child) are not a Relevant Benefit

Relevant Benefit Rule • This rule applies when any change in Social Security Benefit or is found to have changed in the past, in a way which would increase a claimants HB or CTR entitlement • The change is effective from;

• Where the result is; • An Increase in HB or CTR, the change is effective from the date of the change. This could be mid week. • A Decrease or End, the change is effective from the Monday following the change Exceptions for ESA • If a person converts to ESA or converts from one ESA component to another, the change takes place on the exact day

Changes to Pension Credit • Pension Credit starts; increasing the entitlement to HB and CTR. This is effective from the Monday following the date that Pension Credit was awarded. • If the change reduces the HB or CTR it is effective from the Monday following the date that the LA received the notification

• Pension Credit changes or ends – This is effective from the Monday of the benefit week in which the Pension Credit changes or ends. In any other case, the change is effective from the Monday following the date that the Local Authority receives notification from the DWP.

Starting Work • Where a claimant starts work, the change is effective from the following Monday • Where a claimant starts work on Monday 23 rd September, previously in receipt of JSA, the change does not become effective until Monday 30 th September

More than one change • If more than one change occurs in a case, each is dealt with individually • The following rule applies where two or more changes actually occur in the same benefit week, would have an effect in different benefit weeks.

Multiple changes in the same week In Housing Benefit only If one of the changes is; – The annual uprating – The amount of liability for rent – Moving into a new dwelling Then the change takes effect from the date that the above change occurred

• For Housing Benefit in all other changes, the changes take effect from the Monday of the benefit week that the changes actually occurred.

Late Notified Changes • Changes should normally be notified within a month where the changes increases the HB award • There is no such thing a Late Notified Change for CTR

Changes reported after a month Housing Benefit • If a claimant delays notifying the Authority of a change in circumstance, which would reduce the Housing Benefit entitlement, the Authority would apply the general rules as described earlier

Late Notified changes that increase HB entitlement • In such cases the change is treated as occurring on the date that the Authority receives the written notification

Extending the time limit • The calendar month can be extended where; • A claimant reports a change within 13 months of that change occurring, and; • The claimant notifies the Authority of his/her reasons for the failure to notify the change, and; • The Authority is satisfied that there are or were special circumstances and the Authority is satisfied that it is reasonable to allow additional time to report the change

• If the reasons for the late change are not agreed by the Local Authority, the claimant can ask for either a Reconsideration or lodge an Appeal

Northgate and Dates

CHANGES IN CIRCUMSTANCES

C/CIRCS (GENERAL) ‘Refers to basic changes in circumstances’ e. g. Changes to income, capital, household, rent etc. Ø FCD - Date that we are first made aware of the change Ø IRD - Date that all the information needed to process the change was received in writing… … regardless of the requirements for proof under the Verification Framework

CHANGE IN ADDRESS ~ Separate calculations required for: Ø Cancellation at old address Ø Claim processed at new address ~ Different FCD’s and IRD’s for each calculation ~ Also depends on the number of documents received which report the change in address

Termination at the Old Address Ø FCD - The date that we are first made aware of the change in address. Ø IRD - The date that the actual effective date of the termination is identified.

Claim Processed at the New Address ‘Change in address reported via ONE change in circumstances document’ Ø FCD - None Ø IRD - The date that all the information needed to process the claim at the new address was received.

Claim Processed at the New Address ‘Change in address reported via MORE THAN ONE change in circumstances document’ Ø FCD - The date that we are first made aware of the change in address. Ø IRD - The date that all the information needed to process the claim at the new address was received.

CHANGE IN ADDRESS Form received within one month of date of changing address - YES Ø HB/CTR terminated from day before date of move for old address Ø HB/CTR input from date of move for new address using all new details

CHANGE IN ADDRESS Form not received within one month of date of changing address and rent is lower at new address Ø HB/CTR terminated from day before date of move for old address Ø HB/CTR input from date of move for new address using all new details (irrespective of the date notified of move)

CHANGE IN ADDRESS Form not received within one month of date of changing address and rent is higher at new address Ø HB/CTR terminated from day before date of move for old address Ø HB/CTR input from date of move for new address using the previous addresses’ rent amount

CHANGE IN ADDRESS Example: Ø CIA form received 30/05/2013 Ø Moved to new address on 26/03/2013 Ø Rent @ new property £ 475. 00 per month Ø Rent @ old property £ 425. 00 per month

CHANGE IN ADDRESS Example (cont) Ø HB/CTB cancelled for old address from 25/03/2013 Ø HB/CTB input for new address 26/03/2013 using previous addresses' rent of £ 425. 00 per month using notified start date of 30/05/2013 Ø CTR input for new address 01/04/2013

CHANGE IN ADDRESS How it looks on RBLive: Ø Tenancy Type Ø Claim Source Ø Receipt Date Ø Claim Date Ø Start Date Ø End Date Ø Notify Start Ø Use Late Date By ensuring that you have used ‘Notify Start’ & ‘Use Late Date’ the system will use the old amount of rent for the new address until the Receipt Date of the CIA form

NOTIONAL BREAKS IN IS / JSA[IB] / ESA[IR] “Where the IS / JSA[IB] / ESA [IR] ceases, claim suspended & then customer goes back on IS / JSA but, there is a break in entitlement’ Ø FCD - Date we are first made aware that IS / JSA[IB] / ESA[IR] ceased Ø IRD - Date evidence of latest period of IS / JSA[IB] / ESA[IR] received

Example: Notional Breaks in IS / JSA[IB] / ESA[IR] ENDENT rec’d 05/10/2012 JSA/IB ceased 27/09/2012 DECNOTIC rec’d 01/11/2012 JSA/IB re-awarded 25/10/2012 FCD: 05/10/2012 IRD: 01/11/2012

ADMINISTRATIVE CORRECTIONS ‘An input needed to correct a previous inputting error’ Ø FCD - N/A Ø IRD - The actual date that the administrative correction is input

Any Questions?