Information on claiming Housing and Council Tax Benefit

Introduction

It is important that the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit is secure, fair, provides help where it is needed and is vigilant in tackling fraud and error.

Much of the error in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit can be eliminated if we collect appropriate information and evidence that proves what is said on claim forms.

This page aims to help by telling you what is acceptable evidence for the different types of information that we ask you for when you make a claim or renew your claim for benefit.

Claim form for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (.pdf 5.98Mb)

Help us to help you

We want to deal with your claim as quickly as possible so that you receive the benefit that you are entitled to promptly. To achieve this, it is essential that you: -

• You complete the form fully in black ink, answering all the questions that you are required to complete, (writing 'none' where appropriate).
• You sign and date the claim form - any partner must also sign the form.
• You send in with your claim form all the evidence that is required. However if you do not have all the information/evidence we require, send in the claim form straight away, and send in the rest of the information/evidence as soon as possible.
• You send in with your claim form all documents that you send to us, as evidence of what you have stated on your claim form, must be original documents. We cannot accept photocopied documents. The council will take care of your documents and will return them to you promptly. It is very important that your name and current address are included with any documents that you send to us.
• The date when the Benefits Service received your benefit application and all information affects the date your claim starts.
• PLEASE REMEMBER - we must see all necessary original documents and your completed application form before Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit can be correctly calculated.

When making a claim for benefit, you must prove:

A - Your and your partner's identity

We have to see a document that shows your National Insurance Number. If you have a partner, we also have to see a document that shows their National Insurance Number.

Apart from this, we have to be generally satisfied that you are who you say you are. To help prove this you should send in at least two documents from the following list:

• Birth certificate (full or short)
• Current valid passport
• Driving licence
• National Insurance number card
• Marriage certificate
• Paid utility bill (e.g. gas, electric, telephone etc.) in your name for the last quarter at your current address
• UK residence permit
• Benefit payment book or notification letter
• Medical card
• Bank statement (no more that four weeks old)
• Wage slips from current employer
• Life assurance/insurance policies
• HM forces or merchant Navy certificate of employment
• Divorce/annulment papers
• Home Office standard acknowledgement letter (SAL1 or2)
• Identity card issued by EC/EEA member state
• Letter from solicitor/social worker/probation officer/Inland Revenue

B - If you are a tenant, your rent and where you live

We need to know that you have a valid tenancy agreement and that you are paying your rent. If you rent your property from North Norfolk District Coucil we will already know this. If you do not rent from North Norfolk District Council, the information we need is:

• The name and business address of the landlord
• If appropriate, the name and business address of the managing agent
• The date your tenancy started
• The amount payable
• What is included In your rent e.g. services, heating, lighting etc
• How often you have to pay your rent e.g. weekly, four weekly, monthly etc
  You can prove this by sending in one or more of the following:
• Your tenancy agreement and rent book or receipts for rent paid
• A letter from your Landlord or Landlady or their appointed agent giving all of the information we need. The letter must be signed and dated
• A Confitmation of Tenancy (obtainable from us) that you ask your landlord to complete

C - Who else lives with you

We need to know who are members of your household and who lives at your address.

If you have other people (including children and family) who live with you who claim any Social Security benefits or who are entitled to Child Benefit, please send their award notice. Do not send benefit order books to us in the post - Please bring them to the enquiry counter.

For those people who live with you who are not on Benefits we need to see proof of their income - (see below)

D - All Earned Income

We must see proof of earnings from full and part time jobs of you, your partner and anyone else living with you (apart from a joint tenant who is not your partner).

For each job, the information we need is: -

• The name and address of the employer
• The number of hours worked and the period covered
• Gross income in year to date
• Gross income for pay period
• Income tax deducted
• National Insurance deducted
• Works or personal pension contributions that you have made
• How you are paid e.g. cash, cheque, direct to your bank
  You can provide this by:
• Five most recent weekly wage slips or two most recent monthly salary slips or three most recent fortnightly wage slips
• A certificate of earnings (obtainable from us) that you ask your employer to complete
• A letter from your employer on letter headed paper with their name and address containing all the above information
• Bank statements as proof of payment of any personal pension contributions that you make

If you have only just started work and do not have pay slips, get your employer to complete a certiticate of earning stating your expected earnings and let us have your pay slips as soon as you get them.

E - If you, your partner, dependents or non-dependents, are receiving state benefits

We need to see proof of all other income you, your partner or non-dependent receive apart from what you earn.

If you are receiving Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance, please send in your notification letter.

If you are receiving any other kind of state benefit this will need to be proved by sending in one or more of the following:

• An award notification showing current rates of benefit
• Current payment book containing uncashed orders (do not send order books to us through the post)
• A written statement of benefits from Job Centre Plus or Pension Service staff
• Any other income that is received
  - e.g. maintenance payments, private works pension, student grant etc

Examples of the type of evidence that could be provided are: -

• Latest payment slips
• Award notifications, e.g. Court Order or Child Support Agency Notification
• Signed letter from provider of income on their headed paper
• Court Order award notices
• Letters from absent parents confirming maintenance payments

G - Capital/Savings held by you, your partner, dependents and non-dependents

We need to see proof of all capital, investments and savings held, including current bank and building society accounts, by providing one or more of the following:

• Bank/building society statements covering the last three months (a balance slip is not acceptable) dated within the last 28 days
• A letter from the bank/building society detailing accounts held, account numbers and balance outstanding. The letter should state whether the details reflect the account for the last three months and any regular monies deposited
• Original documents showing proof of ownership, e.g. dividend statements detailing assets, certificates. bonds, unit trusts, stocks and shares etc.

H - Other items

If you make payments to a registered childminder, nursery or after school club you must send in proof of payments made and of the childminder's/nursery's registration.

However, payments from the Eileen Trust, Independent Living Fund or the MacFarlane Trust need not be declared.

Queries?

If you have any queries about what is required or how to fill in the claim form, you can contact us by either:

• Calling us on: 01263 513811.
• Writing to us at: The Benefits Office, North Norfolk District Council, Holt Road, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9EN.
• Emailing us: benefits@north-norfolk.gov.uk
• Visiting us at the Council offices in Cromer: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:30am - 5pm, Wednesday 10am - 5pm or Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm.

If you know of a reference number that we use for you please have this ready when you contact us or write it on any letter you send to us.

When sending in Claim forms, documents or letters

• Please ensure that your name, address and reference number (if known) are clearly written in black ink
• Ensure all accompanying documents contain your name and current address
• If you need more room, write the question number and your answer on a separate sheet of paper, sign and date the separate sheet and fix it securely to the form
• Send the completed application form and enclosures to

If your accommodation does not have a secure post box, it is recommended that you make a personal visit to the Benefits Enquiry counter with any valuable documents, so that they can be returned to you immediately.