How to make a claim
To claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit you must apply in writing. Although your claim can be in any form, we will ask you to complete a Housing and Council Tax Benefit Claim Form.
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For help with filling in the claim, download the notes on how to complete a Housing and Council Tax Benefit Claim Form - 88Kb
Please note that the change to Local Housing Allowance in April 2008 may mean that we can no longer make the interim payments that we refer to in our leaflets below.
You can also download our leaflet How to claim Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit , available in four languages :
English - 50Kb Hindi - 89Kb Punjabi - 74Kb Urdu - 591Kb
Where to send your claim form
You must send or bring in your claim form to Derby Benefits. Our office is located on the Ground Floor next to the payments counter in the Council House. You can also take it to any local housing office in the City.
If you rent your home from:
you can fill in your application form and have it checked at your Housing Association's local office.
What if you are claiming Income Support or Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance?
The claim forms for Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance include an application form for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. This form is called an HCTB1.
When you complete this form and send it to the Benefits Agency with your claim for Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, the Benefits Agency will send it on to us.
What information will you have to give us?
Customers not on Income Support or Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
We will need to see proof of all income or savings you may have. This could be, for example:
- wage slips if you are working
- pension or benefit books
- pension slips or letters, giving the amount of pension if you get a private pension or pension from a former employer
- building society books or bank statements.
Visit our reception at the Benefit Enquiry Counter in the Council House or any local housing office and we will photocopy them and give them straight back to you. Please try to avoid sending bank or building society books through the post.
Customers on Income Support or Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
We will not need information about your income or savings.
Private tenants
We will need to see proof of your rent. This would normally be your rent book, tenancy agreement if you have one or ask your landlord to complete the tenancy details form at the back of the application form.
National Insurance Numbers and proof of identity
You will need to provide your National Insurance Number when you claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. You will also need to provide proof of identity.
What we will need to do
We may need to contact other organisations before we can pay your benefit. This may be, for example, to confirm details on your form with the Benefits Agency.
We will need to refer your rent to the Rent Officer Service, who is independent of the Council, if you are a private tenant. They will decide how much of your rent we can use to work out Housing Benefit.
How quickly will your benefit be paid?
We aim to pay your benefit as quickly as we can. We should make the first payment within fourteen days of getting all the information we need to deal with your claim.
How will your benefit be paid?
Housing Benefit for private tenants is paid by cheque or through the Bank Automated Clearing System (BACS) to the tenant or their landlord. Housing Benefit for council tenants, and Council Tax Benefit are both paid by credits to rent and council tax accounts.
Landlords that would like to be paid by BACS can download the payment by BACS form for landlords .
Tenants that would like to be paid by BACS can download a form by download the payment by BACS form for tenants .