How often does a claimant have to notify the value of shares?

The Handbook seems to say that any variations in the value of shares between reviews is ignored and the DMG seems to say something fairly similar (it appears to be a bit like an AIP in Pension Credit). Neither makes any reference to statute,regulations or precedents that permit this.

This seems to create an anomaly - if the claimant’s shares have a huge rise in value which would affect in entitlement to IS etc are they obliged to report it in the same way as they would be obliged to report any other increase in the total value of their capital (which would no doubt trigger a review)or can they simply sit tight and wait for the DWP to initiate a routine review , by which time the shares might have decreased in value again?

I think the answer probably lies in whether the claimant actually knows that the value has increased - valuation of shares is not at all straightforward and as DWP guidance is to use daily high and low figures for the day before supersession, it seems unlikely that DWP would look to retrospectively supersede simply on the possible increase in value of shares. In general, they do not want to be weighed down with the enormous task that could be assesssing value over a protracted period of time, when share values are likely to have changed significantly on a weekly, or even daily basis.

Think you should advise the client that as a point of principle they should sell their Post Office shares 😊