Your change in circumstances
Your benefits
Report a change for your benefit
If you get more than one benefit from Social Security Scotland, you only need to report changes once. We’ll apply these changes to your other benefits.
Find out what changes you need to report for:
If you get Best Start Foods or Scottish Child Payment
You need to let Social Security Scotland know if your circumstances change so they can make sure you get all the payments you should. If your circumstances change and you do not tell Social Security Scotland, you may get a payment by mistake. If this happens, you may be asked to pay the money back.
If you get Scottish Child Payment, you must tell Social Security Scotland if your circumstances change. This could be if:
- you move house outside of Scotland
- you're no longer looking after a child
- you either have a new partner living with you, or a partner has stopped living with you
- you stop getting a benefit
If you do not tell Social Security Scotland about your change of circumstance straight away, you may be breaking the law. Section 72 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 says it's an offence not to tell them about a change of circumstance that they've asked you to.
Changes you need to let Social Security Scotland know about
Name
This could be following a marriage or civil partnership, or if you legally changed your name.
You must send Social Security Scotland documents confirming the name change. You should also tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about the change if you have not already.
Address
This could be if:
- you've moved house
- you still live at the same address but want Social Security Scotland to send letters to a different address
- you no longer have a fixed address
Social Security Scotland will also update the address of a partner, if you have one, or the address of any children you look after.
You must send Social Security Scotland documents confirming the address change. You should also tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about the change if you have not already.
Call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222 if you're moving to an address outside the UK.
Child responsibility
You must tell Social Security Scotland if you're looking after fewer children, or more children. This could be if:
- you're no longer looking after a child, for example, due to the end of a relationship or a divorce
- you or your partner have given birth, or you've adopted
If you're already getting Best Start Foods or Scottish Child Payment then Social Security Scotland will check if you can get it for any additional children you're now looking after.
If you're looking after a child born in the last 6 months
You might be able to get Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment for this child.
If you've only just started looking after a child then this goes up to the last 12 months. This could be if you're the kinship carer for the child.
Social Security Scotland cannot check if you can get Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment using the change in circumstances form. You can still apply for this payment as well as the other parts of Best Start Grant, Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Foods. Go to the joint application form to do this.
Relationship
You should tell Social Security Scotland if your relationship status has changed.
This could be if:
- you're now living with your partner
- you're no longer living with a partner
Death of a child or partner
Call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222 if your child or partner has died. A trained adviser will help you complete the change in circumstances form at your own pace.
Benefits or payments
You need to tell Social Security Scotland if you or your partner have started or stopped getting any of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
Pregnancy
If you get Best Start Foods, you should tell Social Security Scotland if you or your partner are pregnant. Social Security Scotland will check if you can also get Best Start Foods for this child.
You should tell Social Security Scotland if you're currently getting Best Start Foods for a pregnancy and have now given birth.
If you or your partner are 24-weeks pregnant
You might be able to get Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment for this child, but Social Security Scotland cannot check using the change in circumstances form.
You can still apply for this payment as well as Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Foods. Go to the joint application form to do this.
If you're no longer pregnant
Call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222, if you're no longer pregnant and a trained adviser can help you complete the change in circumstances form at your own pace.
Payment details
If you're getting Best Start Foods, Scottish Child Payment, or any part of Best Start Grant, you can tell Social Security Scotland if you'd like to change the details of where you get your payments.
These changes could be details of your:
- bank account
- building society
- credit union
Call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222 to report a change in your bank details.
For your security, you cannot send any change in bank details using the online form.
Update your mobile number, email address or how Social Security Scotland contact you
This could be:
- whether you'd like to get text messages or emails
- the way you want Social Security Scotland to contact you, including by phone, British Sign Language video call or letter
- whether you'd like to get letters in other formats including braille, easy read, large print, or audio file
- whether you'd like to get calls and letters in a language other than English
After you've told Social Security Scotland
You'll get a letter to let you know if your changes will affect your payments for Scottish Child Payment or Best Start Foods. You'll usually get this within 30 days after Social Security Scotland have received your changes.
Who else you need to tell
You should tell Social Security Scotland about any changes straight away. You'll also need to tell:
- the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
- the local council
This is because Social Security Scotland will need to check the information you give them so they can make sure the details are correct.
If you've not told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about your changes, you may need to send Social Security Scotland documents confirming the change.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
You should contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if you get any of these benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
You should contact HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) If you get any of these benefits:
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
Local council
You should contact your local council if you get Housing Benefit.
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