Your responsibilities
You must be honest about your personal situation and tell us straight away if anything changes. If you don’t, you could miss out on extra payments or end up with a debt to pay back.
Tell us about changes
You need to tell us about any change in your personal circumstances such as changes to:
- your income
- your accommodation costs
- your home or family situation – such as entering into a relationship or having children
- your work situation – such as getting a job or a change in the number of hours you work
- starting or finishing study
- your address, bank account or name
- any pension you receive – such as being granted an overseas pension
- costs that you get extra help for.
You will also need to tell us if you:
- go overseas
- go into or leave hospital
- are imprisoned or held in custody on remand.
If you don't tell us of any changes right away you may be overpaid and will be asked to pay back any overpayment. If you deliberately don't tell us, or you tell us something that is not true, you may be prosecuted and/or fined.
Some things you need to know about relationships when you're getting income assistance. It’s also a guide to how we decide if you're in a relationship.
Help us give you better service
So that we can give you better service, you need to:
- give us the information we need to assess your entitlements
- make sure any information you give us is correct
- tell us about any changes in your situation
- keep any agreements you have made with us
- attend and be prepared for our meetings
- tell us if you're unable to keep an appointment
-
treat our staff with courtesy and respect.
For more information
For more information please contact us. We are always happy to answer your questions. There is no need to identify who you are.
You can also read the following:
What you need to know if you get other income and financial assistance from us.
Remember to tell us about changes before it’s too late.
How we match records to avoid benefit fraud.
This explains how we decide if you are in a relationship. Remember, you don't have to live together or share money to be in a relationship that's like marriage.
What it means to have a budget.