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Introduction
This page will explain the procedure for claiming Housing & Council Tax Benefit. It will also provide information relating to the level of evidence needed by this section to assess your claim.
The Claim Form
All customers are required to complete a standard Babergh DC "Housing and Council Tax Benefit" claim form. These are available at our office or you can open an online benefit form.
When Should I Claim?
Generally, claim as soon as you believe you may be entitled to Benefit. As with most other Benefits, there are strict rules in HB & CTB governing the time-limits for which claims can be submitted. We can also accept advance claims (e.g. if you know you are moving into a new property in 2 weeks time). Advance claims can be accepted providing that they are within 13 weeks of the date you will become entitled to Benefit.
Backdated Benefit
We can accept claims received outside of the time-limits. However, you will need to prove that there was a very good reason for not claiming earlier. It is not automatic that these late claims will be accepted. If you need backdating you can download and complete this form and post or bring it in with your claim. Backdating Your Claim Form (pdf: 292KB)
Evidence Needed to Support a Claim
As with all means-tested Benefits, you are required to send in all original documents, certificates, etc to support the information given on your claim form. Photocopies cannot be accepted. Unless stated otherwise, the following information applies to you and your partner (if applicable). The actual evidence required is looked at in this section:
Working people
You are required to send in 5 weekly wage-slips or 2 monthly wage-slips. Alternatively, you can ask your employer to complete an "Earnings Certificate" (available from our office). Generally, if the wage-slips provided do not show all the details we need, then we will ask you to provide alternative evidence.
People on State Benefits
We will need to see evidence of all Benefits received. This will preferably be in the format of an "award notice" from the agency paying you the money.
Savings / Money Held
We need to see evidence of all savings/capital/investments held. This can be in the way of statements, passbooks, certificates, etc. If you own other properties or land, then further details will be requested.
National Insurance Numbers
We need to see your National Insurance number included on an official document (e.g. wage-slip, letter from Benefits Agency, payment book, etc)
The "Verification Framework"
Babergh DC, along with many other Local Authorities, have signed up to what is known as the "Verification Framework". This is a Government scheme intended to ensure all applicants receive the correct amount of Benefit and to reduce the level of fraud within the system. The framework does mean that we will be asking to see extra evidence from you which you may not have supplied previously (for example "Proof of Identity")
Submitting The Form Without All Required Information
If you cannot obtain all the evidence needed to send in with the form, send the form to us anyway. It is often useful to write a covering letter explaining that you will send in the missing information later. We will normally give you four weeks to send in everything we need. This time-limit can be extended if there is a very good reason why you cannot supply the information in that time.
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