Housing Benefit

When you make an online claim or submit details of a change in circumstances for benefits, you'll be asked questions about your circumstances, and you'll be asked to provide evidence based on your circumstances.

You can upload the evidence to support your new claim or change as part of your online application via Citizen Access Benefits.

We can accept scanned documents, or photos of your documents taken using a smartphone or tablet.

Make sure all the details can be clearly seen and the full document is visible on the photo. If they are not, your claim will be delayed whilst we ask for further proofs to be provided.

We can accept images in the following formats: PDF, GIF, JPG, JPEG, TIFF, PNG. The larger the file the longer the upload will take.

Upload supporting documents

The fastest way to make a decision on your claim, or action your change, is to provide this evidence online at the time you make a claim or register details of a change.

If you don't have all the information available you can still upload supporting documents at a later date.

If you're unable to submit documents online, you can post them to the Benefits Team. However, documents submitted online will be received and processed more quickly.

Examples of supporting evidence

Evidence of identity:

• UK passport
• full UK photocard Driving Licence
• UK residence permit

Evidence of National Insurance number:

• National Insurance card
• P45
• P60
• payslip
• tax letter
• Department for Work and Pensions notification letter

Evidence you are living at the address you are claiming for:

• recently paid utility bill or TV Licence

Evidence of earnings:

• your last 5 consecutive weekly, 3 fortnightly or 2 monthly payslips
• your accounts for the last financial year, if you or your partner are self-employed
• a summary of your trading record so far, if you have been trading for less than 6 months

Evidence of other income including benefits, allowances and pensions:

• current award notices or letters from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• tax office confirming how much you get
• pension slips from a former employer
• letter from the court showing how much maintenance you are getting
• evidence of any money people pay you for board and lodgings

Evidence of Universal Credit:

• award statement from the DWP, which confirms the date you have been awarded UC and the breakdown of your award

The easiest way to do this is to log in to your UC account and use the print menu to save your award statement as a PDF that you can upload for us.

Evidence of children and childcare costs:

• Child Benefit award letter or DWP/HMRC letter showing the name of the child

If you pay for childcare we need to see a recent letter from the childcare provider giving their:

• name and address
• names of the children receiving care
• the amount charged
• the registration number

Evidence of rent:

• tenancy agreement
• a letter from your landlord
• a rent book or rent receipts

Evidence of capital, savings and investment:

• bank, building society or post office books
• full bank statements
• certificates for premium bonds
• national savings certificates
• stocks, shares and unit trusts

If you're a pensioner, you don't need to provide any evidence if the total of your capital is less than £10,000.

If you're not a pensioner, you don't need to provide any evidence if the total of your capital is less than £6,000.

Evidence of non-dependant income:

• last 5 weekly, 3 fortnightly or 2 monthly payslips
• benefit award letter
• self-employed income
• pension letters

Also see

• Get benefits advice
• Who can claim housing benefit
• Report a change in circumstances
• Housing benefit appeals
• Housing benefit advice for landlords
• Benefits