How to Complete and Submit a Section 8 Interim Change Form

A Section 8 interim change form is how you tell your Public Housing Agency (PHA) about a shift in your household income, family size, or expenses that occurred between annual recertifications, so your rent gets recalculated to match your current situation. To complete and submit it correctly, gather documentation for every claim you make, fill in the form using gross figures and exact dates, and turn it in through a method that gives you a dated receipt — usually within 30 days of the change.

When You Need to File

The most common reason to file is a drop in household income. Job loss, reduced hours, the end of unemployment benefits, or a decrease in Social Security or other government assistance all qualify. If your adjusted income falls by 10 percent or more from what the PHA has on file, the agency must process an interim reexamination and lower your rent.¹ If the drop is smaller, your PHA may still process it, but it isn’t obligated to unless its own policy sets a lower threshold.

Income increases also trigger a filing obligation, with a significant carve-out. When your adjusted income rises by 10 percent or more, the PHA must conduct an interim reexamination. However, increases in earned income (wages from a job) do not count toward that 10 percent calculation unless the PHA’s written policy specifically requires it after the household already received an interim rent reduction during the same certification period.² In plain terms: if you land a new job and your wages go up, most PHAs won’t raise your rent mid-cycle for that alone. But if you received a rent decrease earlier that year because of lost income and then started earning again, the PHA can recalculate.

Changes in family composition always require a report, regardless of any percentage threshold. A new baby, an adoption, a relative moving in, or a household member leaving through marriage, relocation, or death all affect how the PHA sizes your unit and calculates household income. Adding someone usually requires prior PHA approval, so file the form before the person moves in whenever possible.

You can also file to report new or increased expenses that reduce your adjusted income, such as unreimbursed medical costs, childcare, or disability-related expenses.

Reporting Deadlines

Most PHAs require you to report changes in writing within 30 calendar days of the date the change happened.³ Some agencies set a shorter window; HUD’s own best-practice guidance suggests 10 days.⁴ Check your lease or your PHA’s admissions and continued occupancy policy for the exact deadline your agency enforces.

Missing the window can be expensive. If you fail to report an income increase on time, the PHA can charge you retroactively for the rent difference going back to when the increase started. For unreported household composition changes, consequences range from retroactive rent adjustments to termination of assistance.³ Reporting an income decrease late only hurts you. The rent reduction won’t be backdated, so every month you wait is a month you overpay.

Documents to Gather Before You Start

Every claim on the form needs documentation. Pulling these together first prevents the rejected-for-missing-documents loop that stalls so many requests.

For Income Changes

If your income dropped, bring proof of the change: a termination letter on employer letterhead, a notice from your state unemployment office, or a letter from the Social Security Administration showing a reduced benefit. For a new job or a raise, you need at least two current, consecutive pay stubs.⁵ Your PHA may ask for more, but two consecutive stubs is the HUD-required minimum. Enter all income as gross amounts, meaning total earnings before taxes, insurance, or retirement deductions come out.

For Household Composition Changes

Adding a person requires the new member’s full legal name, Social Security number, and date of birth.⁶ Supporting documents include a birth certificate for a newborn, court-ordered custody papers for a new dependent, or a marriage certificate if a spouse is joining the household. If someone left, bring whatever confirms the departure: a forwarding address notice, a death certificate, or a divorce decree.

For Expense Deductions

If you’re claiming medical, childcare, or disability-related costs, bring receipts, billing statements, or letters from providers showing the anticipated annual amount. The PHA will verify these with the provider, so make sure the documentation matches what you write on the form.

Deductions That Can Lower Your Rent

Many tenants don’t realize they can use the interim change form to report qualifying expenses that reduce adjusted income, and therefore rent. Three categories apply.

Medical Expenses

If the head of household, spouse, or sole member is at least 62 years old or has a disability, the household can deduct unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 3 percent of gross annual income.⁷ Only the amount above that 3 percent floor gets subtracted from income, so small costs don’t move the needle. A household with significant pharmacy bills, medical equipment costs, or insurance premiums can see a meaningful reduction.

Childcare Expenses

Reasonable, unreimbursed childcare costs for children under 13 are deductible when the care allows a household member to work, look for work, or attend school.⁸ The deduction cannot exceed the earned income of the household member who benefits from the care. Payments to another family member living in the same unit don’t qualify, and free arrangements can’t be claimed.

Disability Assistance Expenses

Households where a member has a disability can deduct unreimbursed attendant care and auxiliary apparatus costs that enable any family member to hold a job. HUD defines attendant care broadly to include home medical care, nursing services, housekeeping, interpreters, and readers. The deduction cannot exceed the earned income of the family members age 18 or older who are able to work because of that care.

Filling Out the Form

There is no single national version of the interim change form. Each PHA designs its own, though most ask for the same core information because they all follow the same federal regulations, 24 CFR 982.516 for the Housing Choice Voucher program and 24 CFR 960.257 for public housing.⁹ You can usually pick one up at the front desk or download it from the agency’s website or resident portal.

Most forms walk through the same sections:

Head of household identification, including your name, address, and voucher or tenant ID number.
Type of change, where you indicate whether it involves income, household composition, expenses, or assets.
Date of the change, meaning the exact date the event happened, not the date you’re filling out the form.
Details of the change: employer names, addresses, and phone numbers for income changes; names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth for new household members; dollar amounts for new expenses.
Gross income, entered before taxes, insurance, or other deductions. Writing net (take-home) pay is a common mistake that understates income and can trigger a fraud review later.
Certification and signature. Some PHAs require all adult household members to sign.

Identify clearly which household member experienced the change. If two members had changes, say one lost a job and another started one, list both separately so the PHA can calculate each correctly against total household income.

How to Submit

Choose a submission method that gives you proof of delivery and a timestamp. Certified mail with return receipt requested is the most legally defensible option if a dispute about timeliness arises later. Many PHAs also accept submissions through a secure physical drop box, an online resident portal, or in-person at the front desk. Whatever method you use, keep a date-stamped confirmation: a receipt, a screenshot of an upload confirmation, or a photocopy of the form stamped by staff.

The date the PHA receives your form is what counts, not the date you filled it out. If your deadline is close, submitting in person or through a portal is safer than mailing it.

What Happens After You Submit

Once the PHA has your form and documents, staff begin verifying the information. For income changes, the office contacts your employer or benefits agency directly. This is called third-party verification. The PHA generally has 30 days to process the interim reexamination after receiving the reported change.²

When the calculation is complete, you’ll receive a written Notice of Rent Adjustment showing your new rent amount and its effective date. Timing depends on the direction of the change:

A rent decrease takes effect on the first day of the month following the date you reported the change.¹
A rent increase takes effect on the first of the month after a 30-day advance notice period, which in practice means the first day of the second month after filing.¹

The built-in delay on increases gives you roughly a month to adjust your budget. Decreases kick in as quickly as the PHA can process them, which is why complete documentation on the first submission matters so much. Missing paperwork is the most common reason a legitimate request stalls.

If You Disagree With the New Rent

If the adjustment notice contains a calculation you believe is wrong, you can request an informal hearing. The PHA must include in its notice the deadline for requesting one and the person or office to contact.¹⁰ At the hearing, you can bring your own evidence, witnesses, and a representative (an attorney or advocate, at your own expense). You also have the right to review the documents the PHA relied on before the hearing date.

Common issues worth challenging include miscalculated income (using the wrong pay period, for instance), failure to apply an expense deduction you reported, or an incorrect household count. Put your hearing request in writing even if you initially call. A written record protects you if the PHA later claims it never received the request.

If a Minimum Rent Is Still Too High

If your income has dropped so far that even the PHA’s minimum rent is unaffordable, you can use the interim change form to request a hardship exemption. Qualifying situations include loss of eligibility for a government benefit, a pending application for benefits, a death in the family that affects household finances, or a decrease in income that would lead to eviction without the exemption. Your household generally must be spending more than 50 percent of gross monthly income on rent and utilities to qualify.

The exemption is temporary while the PHA evaluates your circumstances, and you must apply for every benefit program you’re eligible for as a condition of receiving it. The PHA will not grant an exemption if the income loss resulted from a voluntary decision made after your most recent rent adjustment notice. Submit the request with written documentation before your rent becomes delinquent. Once you’re behind on payments, the process becomes much harder.

If You Don’t Report

Failing to report income increases or household composition changes doesn’t make them go away. It creates a debt. When the PHA discovers unreported income, often through HUD’s Enterprise Income Verification system during your annual recertification, it calculates the difference between the rent you paid and the rent you should have been paying, then bills you for the full retroactive amount.

If you can’t pay the balance in a lump sum, the PHA will offer a repayment agreement. The monthly installment plus your current rent obligation should not exceed 40 percent of your family’s monthly adjusted income.¹¹ The agreement also includes a clause allowing renegotiation if your income changes by $200 or more per month. Late or missed payments constitute a default and can lead to termination of your housing assistance. Reporting proactively, even when the change will raise your rent, avoids a surprise lump-sum bill and keeps you in good standing with the program.

1
HUD Exchange. Interim Income Reexaminations Resource Sheet
2
eCFR. 24 CFR 960.257 – Reexamination of Family Income and Composition
3
Virginia Housing. Interim Reporting Requirements Notice – Housing Choice Voucher Program
4
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ACOP Toolkit Annual and Interim Reexaminations Fact Sheet
5
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. PIH 2018-18 – Administrative Guidance for Effective and Mandated Use of the Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System
6
L-BHA. Housing Authority Interim Change Form
7
HUD Exchange. Step 5: Determine the Medical Expenses Deduction
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HUD Exchange. CoC Rent Calculation – Step 3: Determine the Childcare Deduction
9
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.516 – Family Income and Composition: Annual and Interim Examinations
10
Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz. Hearings and Appeals Q&A
11
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Repayment Agreement