Working or Self-Employed

Can I get Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit if I am working or self-employed?

You can get help to pay your rent and/or Council Tax even if you are working or self-employed.  The amount of benefit you will get will depend on the amount of income you have.

You will need to complete a claim form giving full details of your income and you must provide proof of the amount of earnings, benefits and capital you have. We need to know this so we can work out your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

What information do I need to give to you if I get earnings from an employer? When you complete and return your claim form for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, you will also be asked to provide details of your earnings. You will need to send us:

• Your last 5 payslips, if you are paid weekly
• Your last 3 payslips, if you are paid fortnightly
• Your last 2 payslips, if you are paid monthly or 4 weekly

If you do not have any payslips, we will send you a 'Certificate of Earnings' form, which your employer should complete and return.

What happens if I have just started work?

If you are unable to provide payslips, you must not delay in sending us your claim form. Send the form straight away with the other documents requested. If you don't, you may lose benefit. We will tell you what information we need, but you must send the information we ask for as soon as possible, as we cannot work out how much Benefit you will get without it.

What information do I need to give you if I am self-employed? If you are self-employed, you will need to send us your most recent certified accounts. If they are less than 12 months old, you will also need to complete our self-employed earnings form. If you have only recently started your business then you will only need to complete our self-employed earnings form.

Net earnings will be calculated by using gross income over an appropriate period (usually the preceding 12 months), deducting allowable expenses, and calculating the estimated Income Tax and National Insurance which would be payable on that amount.

You should note that some types of business expenses are allowable by the Inland Revenue but not for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit purposes, (such as depreciation). All calculations are made on the basis of a weekly average.

What about the money I pay into my pension scheme?

If you are paying money into a pension scheme, you will need to send us proof of the payments you make.  If the pension scheme is not run by your employer, you will need to let us see the policy documents, and proof of the actual amount you are currently paying after any tax relief.