Contents

  1. Who can claim and how much
  2. Make a new claim
  3. Backdating claims
  4. Income and how it affects your benefits
  5. Savings and investments
  6. Deductions for other adults
  7. Proof needed to support claims
  8. Acceptable proof documents for benefit claims
  9. Sending documents to support claims

On this page

Proof of identity

We need to see at least two documents as proof of your identity and your partner’s identity (if you have one). We will accept documents such as:

  • a birth certificate
  • a credit card or credit card statement
  • a driving licence
  • a letter from your social worker or doctor
  • a marriage certificate
  • a passport
  • a P45 or P60
  • two recent bank or building society statements
  • a gas, electricity or water bill
  • a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions
  • a letter from Jobcentre Plus
  • a letter from HM Revenue and Customs
  • a letter from The Pension Service
  • a letter from your solicitor

 

Proof of National Insurance Number

We need to see at least one document as proof of your National Insurance Number and your partner’s (if you have one). We will accept documents such as:

  • a National Insurance Number card (RD3)
  • a payslip
  • a P45 or P60
  • a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions
  • a letter from H M Revenue and Customs
  • a letter from the Jobcentre Plus
  • a letter from The Pension Service  

Proof of children who live with you

We need to see

  • a letter from H M Revenue and Customs for child benefit
  • if the child has just been born or has recently come to live with you, a birth certificate.
  • a letter from the Disability and Carers Service, if you get Disability Living Allowance for a child.

 

Proof of other people who live with you

We need to see proof of the income of all other adults living with you, such as  

  • their five most recent wage payslips; or
  • their two most recent salary slips, if they are working.

We need to see proof of their other income, such as pensions, benefits, allowances or tax credits, such as

  • a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions
  • a letter from H M Revenue and Customs
  • a letter from the Jobcentre Plus
  • a letter from The Pension Service

If they have savings and investments, we need to see proof, such as

  • bank statements
  • building society statements or passbooks
  • premium bonds
  • stocks and shares dividend statements.

If they are students we need to see proof, such as

  • a letter from their educational establishment that states the course start and end dates
  • a student loan, grant or bursary award letter.

 

Proof of rent and residency

Rent:

We need to see

  • a recently signed tenancy agreement, which is still valid
  • a letter signed by your landlord
    • giving their full name and business address
    • the amount of rent charged
    • how often the rent is due and
    • what, if any, services are included  

If you pay rent to an agent of the landlord, the letter must also include the agent’s full name and business address.

Residency:

To prove you live at the address you are claiming for we need to see:

  • a paid a gas, electricity or water bill
  • a TV licence, a recent bank statement showing the address.

 

Proof of state benefits, allowances, tax credits and pensions

There are some benefits, tax credits, allowances and pensions that we can get proof of directly from the Department for Work and Pensions. These are listed below:

  • Attendance Allowance
  • Bereavement Benefit
  • Bereavement Allowance
  • Carers Allowance
  • Child Benefit (Lone Parent)
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Disability Living Allowance mobility Component
  • Disability Living Allowance care component
  • Employment Support Allowance
  • Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Industrial Death Benefit
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Maternity Allowance
  • Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit
  • Pension Credit
  • Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance
  • State Retirement Pension
  • Unemployability Supplement
  • War Pensions
  • Widowed  Mother Allowance
  • Widowed Parents Allowance
  • Widows Benefit
  • Widows Pension
  • Working Tax Credit

Your benefit not listed?

If you have any other benefits, tax credits, allowances or pensions paid by the government that are not listed, you must give us proof of these. The most common benefit we cannot get proof of is child benefit.

If you have your award letter it would be useful if we can see this, as this could speed up your claim. Acceptable documents are:

  • a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions
  • a letter from the Jobcentre Plus
  • a letter from The Pension Service
  • a letter from H M Revenue and Customs
  • a pension advice slip
  • a recent bank statement showing the pension paid in.

Please note - we will assume you have declared all income to the DWP, JCP or The Pension Service when you claimed these benefits. Failure to declare all of these is potentially a criminal offence that may result in legal action being taken against you, including prosecution.

 

Proof of all other income

We need to see proof of you and your partner’s other income, such as:

  • a court order for child maintenance received
  • a letter from you to confirm how much and how often a sub tenant or boarder pays  

Proof of self employed earned income

If you or you partner are self employed we need to proof, such as your self employed profit and loss account for the last trading year. If you do not have this:

 

Proof of earned income

If you or your partner have earned income from an employer, we need to proof, such as:

 

Proof of outgoings

There are certain outgoings that we can take into account when working out your HB or CTS entitlement. The following outgoings are deducted from your income.

If you or your partner pay out money to support a child in higher education or for childcare we need proof, such as:

  • a grant assessment letter from the local education authority,
  • a letter from your registered childminder;
  • a letter from your play scheme leader; or
  • a letter from H M Revenue and Customs, if you get the childcare element of working Tax Credit.

If you pay towards a private pension we need proof such as a statement from the pension provider. 

 

Proof of capital, savings and investments

If you or your partner have bank, building society account we need to see proof, such as

  • the last two most recent statements;
  • passbooks;
  • post office books  
  • Premium Bonds;
  • National Savings Certificates;
  • dividend statements for bonds, unit trusts and stocks and shares.

If you own or part own another property or land other than the home you live in, we will send you a questionnaire asking some more detailed questions.

If you or your partner are getting any of the following, we will not need proof of you and your partner’s other capital, savings and investments, because it has been checked by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Jobcentre Plus (JCP) or The Pension Service (TPS):

  • Income Support
  • income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • income related Employment and Support Allowance; or
  • Pension Credit.

Please note - we will assume you have declared all savings, capital and investments to the DWP, JCP or The Pension Service when you claimed these benefits. Failure to declare all of these is potentially a criminal offence that may result in legal action being taken against you, including prosecution

See also

Contact us

Merton Benefits Service
PO Box 610
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5ZT

Email: housing.benefits@merton.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8274 4903