Housing benefit

The following items are acceptable evidence for a housing or council tax benefit claim:

• Evidence of identity:
  
  
  • birth certificate;
  • marriage certificate;
  • passport;
  • national insurance number;
  • medical card;
  • driving licence;
  • UK resident permit;
  • EEC identity card;
  • recent gas or electricity bill.
• Evidence of address:
  
  
  • recent gas or electricity bill;
  • current TV licence.
• Evidence of national insurance number:
  
  
  • national insurance number card;
  • pay slips;
  • letter from social security or the tax office.
• Evidence of capital, savings and investments:
  
  
  • bank, building society or post office book;
  • full bank statement;
  • certificates for premium bonds;
  • National Savings certificates;
  • ISAs;
  • stocks, shares and unit trusts.
  • The council's benefits staff need to see evidence of any interest or dividends from investments and savings. They need to see this evidence for children in a household as well. The evidence should show details for the last three months.
• Evidence of earnings:
  
  
  • the last five payslips for someone paid weekly;
  • the last three payslips for someone paid every two weeks;
  • the last two payslips for someone paid monthly.
  • If these payslips are not available, please ask the council's benefits staff for a certificate of earnings which an employer can be asked to complete. They also need this evidence for other adults living in the same home.
• Self-employed earnings:
  
  
  • People who are self-employed should contact the council for a self-employed earnings form. The completed form and trading accounts for the last financial year should be provided or, if someone has been trading for less than six months, a summary of their trading accounts so far.
• Evidence of other income:
  
  
  • The council also needs this for other adults living in your home, in the form of:
  • pension slips from a former employer;
  • letter from the court showing how much maintenance they are getting;
  • evidence of any money people pay the householder for board and lodgings.
• Evidence of private rent and tenancy:
  
  
  • rent book;
  • rent receipts;
  • tenancy agreement;
  • a letter from the landlord.
• Evidence of other money paid out or received:
  
  
  • letters about student grants;
  • letters about maintenance;
  • agreements or receipts from registered child minders.

^ (back to top)