Claiming Housing Benefit in the Harrogate area

You can only receive Housing Benefit if you are:

on a low income
liable to pay rent
living in the property
you and your partner are of pension age
of working age living in supported, sheltered or temporary housing (B&B, refuge, hostel, supported housing with care, support or supervision)

People who work full time or part time, are self-employed or retired can claim, as well as people who are unemployed or cannot work because of illness or because they are caring for someone.

The amount you receive depends on your financial and personal circumstances and the local housing allowance rate at the time of application.

How to claim

You can make a claim online or we can help you complete a claim if you need extra support by visiting us at the Civic Centre, St Lukes Avenue, Harrogate, HG1 2AE. We may be able to visit you at home or we can arrange to complete a claim with you over the telephone. Please contact us for further information.

You can also claim Housing Benefit in the following ways:

through Jobcentre Plus when you claim Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment Support Allowance
through the pension service when you claim pension credit

It is important that you provide all the necessary documents to prove your income and identity. This will help us work out your claim more quickly. All documents must be originals as copies are not acceptable.

If you make a new claim for Housing Benefit we will need to see evidence of your identity, income, capital and rent for you, your partner and any other adult living with you. We need to see original documents, not copies.

If any of these change, you will need to send us further evidence to show the changes as soon as it happens.

If you have savings, capital or investments worth £16,000 or more, you will not qualify for benefit, unless you are also getting pension credit guarantee.

Apply for Housing Benefit

Supporting evidence

Proof of identity

You need to send proof of both you and your partner's identity and National Insurance numbers. Please send at least two of the following for both you and your partner:

original birth certificate
driving licence
divorce or annulment papers
UK residence permit
life assurance policy
letter from a solicitor, doctor, social worker or probation office, or the Inland Revenue
wage slips from the current employer
Home Office acknowledgement letter
passport
marriage certificate
gas, electric or water bill
HM Forces certificate of employment
EC or EBA national identity card
NHS medical card
DWP benefit entitlement letter
bank statement (dated within the last four weeks)
Universal Credit award letter

Proof of income

If you are employed you must provide five wage slips in a row if you are paid weekly; three wage slips in a row if paid fortnightly, or two wage slips in a row if paid monthly. Alternatively, you can provide a letter from your employer on official company paper.

Your proof must include:

the name and address of your employer
the number of hours worked and the period covered
your income before deductions in the year so far
your income before deductions for the pay period
the income tax deducted
National Insurance contributions deducted
your pay before and after deductions, and any other deductions for a five-week period
occupational pension or personal pension payments
how you are paid, for example, cheque, cash or into a bank account

If you receive Universal Credit, we may need to see your award letters.

If you or your partner receive any other benefit, we will need to see proof of the amount you receive from the DWP, such as an award letter, or bank statement showing payments.

If you or your partner are self-employed, you must send us your most recent accounts. If you cannot provide these or have only recently become self-employed, please contact us.

Certificate of earnings request form

If you or your partner receive any other benefit, we will need to see proof of the amount you receive from the DWP, such as an award letter, or bank statement showing payments.

If you or your partner are self-employed, you must send us your most recent accounts. If you cannot provide these or have only recently become self-employed, please contact us.

Self-employed earnings form

Proof of capital

We will need to see two recent months' bank statements for all accounts, plus statements, passbooks, or certificates showing all savings and investments and how they are invested.

Proof of residency and rent

Tenancy agreement or rent book (or rent account along with a letter from your landlord)

This proof must include:

date the agreement started
amount you pay
how long the tenancy will last
how often you pay the rent
the name and business address of your landlord and of the managing agent, if applicable
what is included in the rent, such as meals, gas, electricity
details of rent already paid and the date of payment

Tenancy confirmation certificate request form

Childminding fees

Please send us five weekly or two monthly payment receipts, childminding contract or a letter from your provider. If you do not have these then please complete our childcare costs certificate request form. After you have completed the form, a certificate will be emailed to you that you should pass to your childcare provider to confirm your childcare costs.

Childcare costs certificate request form

Other people living with you

We may ask you to complete our form if someone new has moved into your home or if someone already living with you has had a change in their income. We require evidence of this person’s income and capital.

Other people living with you form