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Apply for Benefits

If you are on a low income and paying either rent and/or council tax, you may be entitled to Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support or Second Adult Rebate.

How Much Benefit Will I Get?

If you get income-based jobseeker's allowance or income support, you may get your full eligible rent paid.

If you do not get income-based jobseeker's allowance, income related employment and support allowance, guaranteed pension credit or income support, you may get your full eligible rent paid.

If you do not get these benefits the amount of housing benefit and council tax support you get depends on:

the amount of eligible rent you pay
your liability to council tax
how many people live with you
your personal circumstances
how much money you have coming in
how much you have in savings

Apply For Benefits Online

You can now only apply for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support or Second Adult Rebate online. Apply for benefits using the: Online Benefits Claim and Calculator.

You can find out if you qualify for benefit by using the online benefit calculator. The calculation is based on the information you provide. Make sure that you have provided all the relevant information and all amounts have been correctly stated.

Our online form is an easy to use, secure method to apply for benefits and significantly reduces the time taken to process benefits claims.

If you see that you might have an entitlement and complete and submit the online form, you'll see a list of documentation you must provide to support your application. Your claim will be delayed if you don't provide that evidence.

Help with Applying

Applying for Council Tax Support only

You may have been advised to complete and submit a shortened form for Council Tax Support if you fulfil one of the following criteria:

You are already in receipt of Housing Benefit and have had a change in circumstances which means you may now qualify for Council Tax Support as well

You have recently applied for a different benefit via the DWP or Pension Service and have been advised you need to claim Council Tax Support from your local Council.

If either of the above circumstances apply to you, you don't need to submit a full application form online. Instead you can complete a shortened Council Tax Support form either by asking us to send you one or by downloading the form below.

You should complete and return this to us as soon as possible, any delay may mean you have to submit a full application and/or you could lose out on getting a reduction on your Council Tax.

Please be aware that if you do not already have a Housing Benefit claim or you have not within the last month submitted a claim via the DWP or Pension Service, you will need to complete the full application form.

Shortened Council Tax Support Application form

For further information on what proof you will need to provide to support your claim, please read:

Checklist for Housing and Council Tax Support Claims