You can claim by completing one of our claim forms or by completing a claim form for Housing and Council Tax benefit when you apply for Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support or Guaranteed Pension Credit. We do not have a form that you can download as yet. In our Contacts page you will see all the ways to contact us. If you need help to complete your form you can phone our service for advice or visit our customer services enquiry desk. If you have restricted mobility please phone us so that we can discuss visiting you at your home.

You should claim straight away to avoid missing out on benefit. You can provide your documents after you have submitted your claim form, if you do not have them all to start with.

You can also apply for benefit up to 13 weeks before you will become entitled, but you will not be able to receive a payment until you move in.

We work to standards set by the Government that state we must see original documentary evidence of yours and your partner's identity and National Insurance numbers. We also require original documentary evidence of your income, savings and capital and your households income and savings. When we receive your application form we will write to you with a list of the information you will need to provide. Any document that we receive will be sent back to you first class on the day we receive it. If you do not want to send documents through the post you can bring them in to the offices to be photocopied and handed back to you. We do not recommend that you send your valuable documents through the post.

• Bank statements dated within four weeks of your claim - Driving Licence
• Birth/Marriage Certificate - Medical Card
• Utility bill paid within the last quarter - Valid passport
• Identity card issued by EEC member state - Divorce/Annulment papers
• Life Assurance/Insurance policies - National Insurance card
• Home Office standard acknowledgement letter (Sal 1 or 2) - UK residence permit
• Letter from Solicitor/Social worker/Probation officer/Inland Revenue
• Certificate of employment in HM forces/Merchant Navy
• Benefit payment book/letter dated within four weeks of your claim

Once you have completed your claim form you will be asked to provide the relevant documentary evidence to support the information you have given.

For example:

• Proof of earnings. We will need to see full payslips (your most recent five weekly, three fortnightly or two four weekly or calendar monthly payslips). If you do not have enough payslips or you do not receive printed payslips, you can ask your employer to complete an earnings certificate.
• Proof of capital. We will only need to see your bank/building society accounts if the total amount of your capital and savings is £6000.00 or more. If you have £6000.00 or more, we will need to see your bank/building society books that must have been updated within the last six months. If you have an account that has statements we will need to see full statements that show your name, address, account number, balance and cover at least the last eight weeks transactions. If the total of your capital and savings is less than £6000.00 we will need you to confirm the account number and the balance of each account that you hold
• Proof of the benefits. We will usually need to see proof of the benefits that you receive that is dated within four weeks of your claim and confirms the type, amount and start date of your benefit. You could provide your payment book or you could complete our proof of benefits form. (You will need to contact us for this form.)
• Proof of rent. We will need to see your full signed tenancy agreement. This will need to confirm your address and your landlords address/business address/agents name and address (if you have one), the amount of rent you pay and how often you pay it, what services are included in the rent, the length and type of tenancy you have. This must be signed and dated by yourself and your landlord. If you do not have a tenancy agreement, your landlord will need to write a letter that confirms all of the above information, or if the Rent Service has registered your rent you can provide your rent registration papers. If you are not a new tenant you will need to provide proof of your current rent that is dated within four weeks of your claim in addition to the above.

These are just a few examples, please contact us for further information about what documents to provide. You may need to contact other organisations to get this proof. Some of them may be in our contacts list, see Useful contacts.