Evidence of Income
Documents You Must Provide
You must provide proof of your household income. When we refer to household income, we mean any income which you, your partner and any other adults (Non-Dependants) in your property.
The type of evidence that you will be required to provide will depend on the type of income. We have given some examples below of the mininum evidence requirement for various different types of income:
Employment/Earned Income
If you, your partner or any other adults in your property are working, you must provide your last 5 consecutive payslips if you are paid weekly, last 3 consecutive payslips if paid fortnightly or last 2 payslips if you are paid monthly or 4 weekly.
If you have only recently started employment and you do not have the full required amount of payslips, please do not delay in sending us your application. We will advise you of what is required.
Please note, we cannot accept handwritten payslips. If you receive handwritten payslips, or you have lost your payslips, please ask your employer to complete and sign a Certificate of Earned Income which can be obtained from our downloads on the right hand side of this screen.
Self-Employed Income
If you, your partner or any non-dependants in your household are self-employed, proof of this income must be provided to support your application.
The minimum requirement for a business which has been in operation for more than 12 months would be self-employed accounts (preferably accounts which have been prepared and audited professionally) for the previous 12 months. If your, your partner's or any non-dependant's business has been in operation for less than 12 months, we will require self-employed accounts for the period that the business has been in operation.
If self-employed accounts are not available, we have a form which can be completed giving us the relevant information. This form can be obtained from our downloads on the right hand side of this page.
Regardless of how long your business has been in operation, we require all documentation to support your income and expenditure. The type of documentation required will depend on each individual income or expenditure however may be invoices or receipts for example.
In the event that the correct information is not provided with your application form for Housing and Council Tax Benefit, we will write to you for specific information. It may also be necessary for an office interview to clarify certain aspects of your claim.
State Benefits and Tax Credits
If you, your partner, children or any other adults in your property are in receipt of any State Benefits or Tax Credits for themselves or anyone else,including children and adults who do not live with them, proof must be provided.
If such State Benefits or Tax Credits are in payment, you must provide your award letter as evidence.
For more information on State Benefits, click here.
Other Income
If you, your partner, any children or any other adults in your property receive any other type of income, you must provide proof of this. Examples of this other income may be Maintenance, Private Pensions, Income from Boarders and many more. Original documentation must be provided as photocopies cannot be accepted.
You are responsible to tell us about all your household income details. The above information is for guidance only and this does not advise of all income types. If you have any queries on what to provide, please contact us. Contact Details.
Proof of Child Care Costs
As well as providing proof of your income, you should also provide proof of any Child Care Costs which you have. In certain circumstances, the costs which you are required to pay to a registered childminder can be taken into consideration when calculating your entitlement to Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
When you submit your application for Housing and Council Tax Benefit, if child care costs apply to yourself or your partner, you should also submit a Child Care Certificate form which has been completed and signed by your registered childminder. You can obtain this form from our downloads on the right hand side of this page or you can Contact Us.
