Frequently Asked Questions

Question:

How do you make a claim for benefit?

Answer:

There are many ways of doing this:

• If you are claiming other benefits, such as Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Pension Credit, you can claim at the same time as you claim these benefits from the various Department for Work and Pensions offices.
• You can pick up a claim form from any of the Council's Info Centres or contact us by email or telephone. If you ask for a Golden Ticket claim at our Info Centres you can get a face-to-face interview and your claim will be dealt with within 48 hours.
• If you are housebound, contact us and we can arrange for a visiting officer to visit to help you.

Unfortunately, the forms are quite lengthy but this is to cover all the possible circumstances our customers may have. If you have any difficulties please do not hesitate to contact us for advice as if you leave questions blank we may need to return your application, which can cause delays.

Please note: all claims must be submitted with relevant proofs (original documents) - the form tells you exactly what we will need to see. If you do not have any of these documents, again please ask for advice on alternatives, as it will save any unnecessary delays in requesting the information from you again.

Our claim forms also contain an additional page covering free school meals entitlement for your children and we will also deal with this benefit when assessing any help with your rent and council tax.

Contact the Housing and Council Tax Benefits Section