Upload your evidence

If you live with a partner you'll need to claim together, which means that both your circumstances will be taken into account. However, you'll need to decide whose name the claim will be in.

We need a lot of information from you before we can make a decision on whether you can get benefit:

• A completed benefit claim form
  
• Two documents for proof of identification for both yourself and your partner (if you have one)
  
• A document showing national insurance numbers for yourself and your partner (if you have one)
  
• Your tenancy agreement
  

 We'll also need to know about:

• Your financial circumstances, including your earnings, pensions and any other state benefits you have coming in - you'll need to provide details of all of your savings, capital and any other accounts you have, such as building society or post office accounts
  
• People in your household, for example partner, children or a lodger - we'll need details and proof of all their income and savings
  
• The kind of property you live in and the rent you pay - this only applies if you want to claim housing benefit
  

It's important that you tell us all this information on your claim form. Please answer all the questions. You'll also need to send us proof of all the details you tell us about. You must send us original documents as we can't accept photocopies. We'll return these documents to you.

If you're unable to provide your wage slips, for instance if you have only just started work, or if you've changed the hours you work, you can print a certificate of earnings for your employer to complete. If you're self employed and aren't able to provide your most recent certified profit and loss accounts, you can print a self employment form instead. If you're unable to provide an up-to-date tenancy agreement you can print a confirmation of tenancy form for your landlord to complete. If you have childcare, you can use our childcare costs declaration.

If your proof (or some of your proof) isn't available straight away, it's important that you don't wait for this before sending your claim form to us. You must send your claim form to us as soon as it's ready, otherwise you may lose money you're entitled to.

You must provide all supporting evidence to us within one calendar month of submitting your claim. If you're unable to provide the evidence we need, you should contact us immediately.