Overview

• The department highlighted on X that self-employed recipients should update income details promptly to avoid being overpaid.
• Official guidance lists 17 changes that must be reported, including rent adjustments, bank or contact details, moves, childcare or education changes, savings, health status and travel outside Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
• Payments can be recalculated for the whole assessment period, so delays in reporting can affect the amount due for that month.
• If overpaid, claimants receive a letter and can request a mandatory reconsideration, usually within one month of the notice.
• Updates can be made via the Universal Credit online account or by calling 0800 328 5644, and different overpayment processes apply for tax credits, Child Benefit, Social Security Scotland and Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities.