Apply for housing benefit

If you get income support, income based jobseekers allowance or income related employment and support allowance, we may already have proof of this.

You will need to provide proof if your husband/wife/partner or your non-dependants are getting any other benefit.

The best kinds of evidence are:

• award notification letters that show the current rates of benefit
• benefit payment books (which are current and contain uncashed orders)

Child benefit is disregarded for housing and council tax benefit and council tax reduction purposes.

Earnings

If you are employed we must see evidence of your earned income and the earnings of your husband/wife/partner and any non-dependants.

The evidence you provide must cover either the last:

• 5 weeks (if paid weekly); or
• 3 payments (if paid fortnightly); or
• 2 months (if paid monthly)

The best kinds of evidence are either:

• wage slips (not handwritten); or
• a certificate of earnings (provided with the housing benefit/council tax benefit application form), which has been properly completed by the employer

Other acceptable forms of evidence are:

• a letter from the employer
• a benefit award notification which states the earnings

Any evidence should show the:

• employer’s name
• hours worked
• period covered (eg: week, month etc.)
• gross income in year to date
• gross income for pay period
• income tax deducted
• national insurance contributions deducted
• employee's pension contributions
• method of payment, for example
  • cheque
  • cash
  • transfer to bank account

We will accept uploads with an electronic form.