To apply for both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit you must complete our Benefit Application form. You need to complete this form even if:
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you have filled in the Benefits Agency form (NHB1)
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you have filled in an application for Income Support (Income Support) or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (Job Seekers Allowance IB)
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you are either wishing to claim Housing Benefit as a tenant of a private landlord or you have children at school and you are wishing to claim free school meals.
Documentary proof
All claimants need to provide documentary proof of their (and their partner's):
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identity (for example, passport, birth certificate; medical card);
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national insurance number;
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income and savings (entitlement to other benefits; wages; self employed profit and loss accounts; bank statements; share certificates, and so on);
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and a liability to pay rent (tenancy agreement, letter from your landlord, proof of rent payments).
We will only accept original documents and strongly advise that you do not send important or valuable documents by post. If you don't answer all of the questions or provide the necessary proofs then this will delay the time it will take for your claim to be assessed.
Other useful numbers are in the box below.