Evidence to support your claim for Local Council Tax Support
When you make a claim for council tax support you will need to supply evidence to support your claim.
We must see original documents, not copies. If you bring them to the council offices, we will take the details we need to and give you the documents back straight away. If you do not provide all the evidence we need, we might not be able to pay you any support. We need the same evidence for your partner, if you have one, and or any other adults living in your home.
If you are unable to provide the evidence we need at the moment, you may still be able to send in an application and send the evidence later. Please contact the Customer Service Team on 01799 510510 for further advice.
Local Council Tax Support - Application forms and documents
Below are some examples of acceptable documents to support your claim
Evidence of Identity
We must see evidence of you and your partner's identity and National Insurance number. If you or your partner are asylum seekers, you must provide your current Home Office letter.
Such as
- your birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport, National Insurance number card, medical card, driving licence, UK residence permit, current Home Office letter, EU identity card or recent gas or electricity bill. We may need to see several of these documents for each adult resident in your home.
Evidence of National Insurance number
Such as
- a National Insurance number card, payslips or letters from social security or the tax office
We must see any evidence of any money or pension coming in before we can decide how much Award you can get.
Evidence of savings, investments and property
Such as
- your bank, building society or post office books, full bank statements, or certificates for premium bonds, National savings Certificates, ISAs Tessas, stocks and unit trusts. The evidence you send must show details for at least the last 2 months, even if the balance is overdrawn.
People who have more than £16000 in capital are not eligible to receive support (although special rules apply to people of pension age). Capital includes money, property, land also held outside the United Kingdom.
Evidence of Earnings - for you, your partner and any other adults resident
This means your last 5 payslips if you are paid every week, your last 3 payslips if you are paid every 2 weeks, or your last 2 payslips if you are paid every month. We can send a form to your employer to fill in if you do not have these payslips.
If you or your partner are self-employed, we need to see your accounts for the last financial year or, if you have been trading for less than 6 months, a summary of your trading records so far.
Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and LCTS Self-employed Earnings Form
Evidence of other income
Such as
- pension slips from a former employer or a letter from the court showing how much maintenance you are getting. We need to see evidence of any money people pay you for board and lodgings.
Evidence of benefits, allowances, tax credits, pension credits or pensions, for you, your partner and any other adults resident in your home.
Such as
- current award notices or letters from the Department for Work and Pensions or HMRC confirming how much you get. If you do not have evidence, let us know straight away.
Evidence of other money paid out
Such as
- letters about student grants or maintenance, or agreements or receipts from registered carers