At North East Lincolnshire Council we want to pay your claim as quickly as possible. To help us to pay your claim, you must give us original documents to prove the details you have given on your claim form.
You can download a claim form from our Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction forms page, contact us to send one to you or call into one of our Customer Access Points.
Proof of Identity and National Insurance Number
We need to see two different documents for you and your partner (if you have one) from the following list – one to confirm your identity and the other to confirm your National Insurance number. You cannot use the same document to confirm both.
• Birth or marriage certificates
• Passport
• Driving licence
• Benefit letters
• Payslips
• Letters about Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit
• Letters about Pension Credit
• P45
• Utility bills, for example, gas or electricity bills
• Bank statements
If you have given proof of your identity and National Insurance number to us before, we may not need it again.
Proof of savings and investments
For each adult in the household we will ask you about your savings, investments and any other money in a bank account or building-society accounts. If you have over £5500 in savings and investments, we will ask to see proof of this. If you have less than £5500, we will ask for details of your accounts, account number, balance and bank or building society.
Proof we will accept
• Statements for the last two months
• Up-to-date bank books or building-society books
• Share certificates
• Premium Bond certificates
Proof of earnings
We need proof of earnings for all adults in your household who are working.
Proof we will accept
• Your last five payslips if you are paid every week, two payslips if you are paid every month, two payslips if you are paid every four weeks, or three payslips if you are paid every two weeks
• Self-employed accounts
If you do not have your payslips you can ask your employer to fill in a certificate of earnings. You can get a certificate by contacting us or from the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction forms page of this website.
Proof of all benefits, allowances, pensions (including private pensions) and any other income
We need proof of all the income the adults in your household receive.
Proof we will accept
• Benefit award notices (all the pages of the letter)
• Letters about Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit
• Letters about Pension Credit
• Proof of maintenance
• Proof of any other income you or your partner (if you have one) receive
• Letters about student grants or loans
Proof of other money you pay out
We only need this for you and your partner (if you have one).
Proof we will accept
• Agreements or receipts for registered childminders or nurseries
Proof of rent and tenancy
Proof we will accept
• Tenancy agreement
• Rent book
• A letter from your landlord
This evidence should show:
• the name and address of your landlord;
• the name and address of your landlord’s agent (if your landlord uses one);
• your name and address;
• the amount of rent you are paying and the period it covers, for example weekly or monthly; and
• the date your tenancy started.
Don’t delay your claim
If you cannot provide all the proof we need at the moment, send the form back to the Benefits Section or hand it in at a Customer Access Point with as much information as you have. You can find contact details on the back of this booklet. If you bring your form and proof into a Customer Access Point, an advisor will give you a receipt for the information you have given to us and also tell you if we need any extra information and, if so, the date we need it by. We can start to process your claim, but we cannot grant your award until we receive all the proof we need. We may ask you for more information if we have a question about any of the information you give us.
We have created a booklet to help you fill in the application form which you can download from this page. If you need more help or advice you can call into one of our Customer Access Points for assistance.
In exceptional circumstances, for example if you are housebound (you are not able to leave your house because of an illness or old age), we can arrange for a visiting officer to call and fill in the application form with you.
Remember – don’t delay. You may lose money if you don’t hand your form in straight away.