Housing Benefit

Your benefits or deductions may be delayed if you do not provide the right evidence. If you or your partner have any of the listed items you’ll need to supply them:

• your last 5 (weekly) or 3 (fortnightly) or 2 (monthly) payslips. If you have just started work, do not wait until you get them to submit your claim. You can supply them as you get them.
• the last two pension slips from your former employer/your personal pension, or a letter from your pension provider showing the latest rise
• evidence of all capital and savings
• bank statements or building society pass books covering the last two months
• Post Office books, Premium Bonds, Income Bonds, ISAs, TESSAs
• National Savings certificates, stocks and shares information
• state benefits or state pension
• evidence of maintenance
• evidence of childcare costs
• evidence of student grant or loan
• letter detailing how the grant or loan is made up
• evidence of income for non-dependants

If this is your first claim with Walsall Council, you’ll need to provide:

• two items of ID (for example, your passport, driver’s license, birth or marriage certificate)
• evidence of your National Insurance (NI) number (for example, a wage slip, correspondence from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) or your NI card)

If you are applying with a partner, they will also need to provide this evidence.

If you’re making a new claim, you may need to provide:

• identification
• tenancy agreement
• evidence of your income

If you’re reporting a change of circumstances, you may need to provide:

• wage slips
• bank statements
• identification

If you’re a private tenant reporting a change of address you will need to send us a copy of your tenancy agreement. 

You may have to pay a penalty if you don’t tell us about any changes within one month.  For more serious offences, you could be prosecuted for benefit fraud.

Introduction

Welcome to a Walsall Council how‑to guide on applying for Housing Benefit.

This video has interactive buttons you can select while watching. When you do, the video will pause and take you to a webpage with helpful information or next steps.

Housing Benefit can help you with the cost of your rent if you're unemployed or on a low income.

Eligibility

You can claim Housing Benefit if you live in specified supported accommodation, you live in temporary homeless accommodation provided by the council, or you are of state pension age.

You are not eligible to claim Housing Benefit if you're eligible for Universal Credit housing element, your household has £16,000 or more in savings unless you receive guaranteed pension credit, you pay rent to a close relative who lives with you, or you own your home.

Application Process

To get started making a claim, go to the Housing Benefit webpage. Scroll down and select the "Apply for Housing Benefit online" button. In the Benefits tab, select "New claims", then select "Make a new claim". Confirm that you are the claimant or assisting the claimant in their presence by selecting "Yes", then select "Next."

Let us know if you are living in temporary or supported accommodation. Read the statements carefully and choose the relevant option. Then tell us if you are in receipt of Universal Credit.

On the next page, choose what you would like to claim for: Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, or both.

On the next page, enter your personal details. Then choose how you would like to be contacted, and whether you would like to use our online services, where you can access entitlement letters and manage your Council Tax account online. Then select "Next."

Next, you'll be asked to provide information about your nationality. If you have a partner living with you, you'll also be asked to share their details.

After that, you'll see a list of around 10 yes‑or‑no questions. Go through each one carefully, then select the "Save" button to continue.

On the next page, review your claim information carefully. Once confirmed, scroll down to each section and select "Update these details." First, you will be asked to provide details of any children living with you or anyone else in your household. Next, go to the income, capital and expenses section. Here you will supply details of income for yourself and others in your household individually. You will then do the same for any savings and expenses you have. Next, complete the Council Tax section and provide your Council Tax number. Finally, go to the "Other details" section. Answer the remaining questions and select Save. Once all sections are marked as done, you can proceed by selecting the "Go to submit my claim" button.

Once Submitted

After applying, you'll be contacted within a few weeks. Stay patient and keep an eye on your mail or email for updates on your application status. You will be asked to provide proof of your circumstances. Your claim may be delayed if you do not provide the right evidence.

Need Help?

If you need help with this, you can watch our helpful guide to uploading documents by selecting the link.

If you need help getting online, you can visit your local Walsall Connected centre for support. Before visiting our centres, check the opening times and availability. Go to our webpage, or select the Walsall Connected link to find your local centre.

Got a question? Ask WALIS, our chatbot, on Walsall.gov.uk.