By Charlotte Fisher

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Certain changes in circumstance must be reported to the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) if you are on Attendance Allowance or you risk having your claim stopped or reduced. There are nine changes that need to be reported, including if you go into hospital, you leave the country for more than four weeks and moving house. Because the amount you receive in benefits from the DWP is calculated based on your specific circumstances, the DWP must be informed of any changes that could affect your payments. Failing to notify the DWP about these changes could be considered benefit fraud. Attendance Allowance is a benefit paid to people over the State Pension age who need help or supervision with personal care due to illness or disability. There are 1,859,539 cases of entitlement of Attendance Allowance across the country, according to the latest DWP data. Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here The benefit is not means-tested – meaning what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect the amount you get. It is a non-contributory benefit paid to elderly people with a disability or health condition severe enough that might need someone to help look after them. But you do not have to have someone caring for you in order to claim it. You need to report changes to your and your partner’s personal and financial circumstances straight away, according to the DWP. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE If you’ve been paid too much in Attendance Allowance, you may have to repay the money if you: The benefit office will contact you if you’ve been overpaid by sending you a letter. However the DWP advises you should tell the office dealing with your benefit straight away if: You may have to pay back the benefit if you’ve been overpaid.