From 12:05am to 1pm, Saturday 28 January, due to essential maintenance work our online services for benefits and managing council tax accounts will not be available. Please do not try to use these services during this time – we apologise for any inconvenience. You can still make council tax payments online or by phone during this time.
When you claim a benefit online you’ll be shown a list of evidence you must have to support your claim. For some claims, evidence can be uploaded online. You can also send paper documents to us by post or by bringing them to us yourself.
Don't worry if you can't get the proof we need straight away. You should still make your claim and then provide the proof as soon as possible afterwards. If you don't make the claim straight away, you might lose money.
Let us know if you can't get the proof within 2 or 3 weeks, as we may be able to help you.
If we're able to accept your proof as part of the online application, an option to 'Upload evidence' section will be shown at the end of the form. You can use this 'Upload evidence' link to send us electronic documents, scanned images of documents, or clear photos of documents.
If you don't have all the proof you need, you should still complete your online application. You can come back and upload your evidence when you have it ready.
To upload evidence after you've submitted your claim, go to the main claims menu below and use the 'Upload My Evidence' link at the bottom of the page.
Claim housing benefit or council tax support
If you're asked to send us paper versions of your evidence, the list will tell you whether it has to be an original document, or if it can be a photocopy.
You can send paper documents to us either by:
Don't send valuable items in the post, such as bank books or passports
We only provide face-to-face support for our most vulnerable residents who have been offered appointments:
If you provide all the documents when you make your claim, we will process your benefit claim by the next posting date. This is called 'fast tracking'.
