What documents do I need to provide with my benefit claim form?
It is important that you provide all the documents needed to prove your income and identity as this will help us to deal with your claim more quickly. The documents you supply must be originals as we cannot accept copies.
Proof of Identity
You need to provide proof of both your and your partner's identity and National Insurance Numbers. Please send or bring in least two of the following for you and your partner (if you have one):
- Original Birth Certificate
- Current Driving Licence
- Wage slips from your current Employer
- Passport
- Credit Card
- Divorce or annulment papers
- Benefit Entitlement Letter
- Gas, electric or water rate bill
- Life Assurance Policy
- Letter from a Solicitor, Doctor, Social Worker, Probation Officer or the Inland Revenue
- NHS Medical card
- Marriage Certificate
- Bank Statement (dated within the last four weeks)
- HM Forces Certificate of Employment
- EC or EBA National Identity Card
- Home Office Acknowledgement Letter
Proof of Income
If you are employed, you need to provide five wage slips in a row if you are paid weekly, three wage slips in a row if paid every two weeks and two wage slips in a row if you are paid every month. If you do not have wage slips available, please contact our Customer First Centre and request a "Certificate of Earnings Form". Alternatively, you can ask your Employer to provide a letter on official Company paper. The letter must include the following information to help us deal with your claim:
- name and address of your Employer
- your income before deductions in the year so far
- the amount of income tax deducted
- occupational pension or personal pension payments
- details of your pay before and after any deductions, and any other deductions for a five week period; how you are paid - for example, by cheque, cash or into your bank account
- the number of hours you have worked and the period of time the pay covers
- your income before any deductions for the pay period
- the amount of National Insurance contributions which have been deducted.
If you or your partner are self-employed, we will need to see your most recent accounts. If you cannot supply these or you have only just become self-employed, please contact our Customer First Centre for more advice.
If you get any state benefits, we will need to see your benefit book or a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions or the Inland Revenue showing the amount you get. Any documents or books you provide to support your claim must be the originals.
We also need to see proof of your savings and investments if you have any. We will need to see two full months' of your most recent bank statements for all your accounts plus statements, passbooks or certificates showing all your savings and investments and how they are invested.
Please don't delay sending your form back to us if you do not have all the items of proof needed. Send or bring in your form to the Customer First Centre and let us know that you have more information to send us later.