Housing and Council Tax Benefits
How to Claim
In order to assess your claim properly, we have to ask you for quite a lot of information. Unfortunately you may find that the forms that we use are long and can seem to be rather complicated. However, we need you to complete the forms in full, as we cannot finalise your claim until we have received all of the information requested.
We have made every effort to try to make our forms as easy to follow as possible. If you have any difficulty in filling in the forms, please contact us so that we can give you assistance. We also offer a home visiting service if you can not come into the Council's offices because you are ill or disabled. Appointments can be made by telephoning 01329 824663.
There are 2 ways to claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit:
- If you are making a new claim for Income Support or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance through Jobcentre Plus, you can make a claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit at the same time. Working age people (those aged less than 60) who are making a new or repeat claim for a Primary benefit i.e. Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS) or Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) are required to make their claim by calling Jobcentre Plus on 0845 6026710 (or 0845 6034014 text phone) and their claim details will be taken over the telephone.
We are still responsible for working out entitlement to HB/CTB and will still need to ask some customers to provide additional documentation, for example, proof of rent, and in some instances income, before the claim can be processed.
- If you are not making a claim for one of the benefits listed above you need to obtain a form from the Council. The form can be used to apply for Housing Benefit (regardless of whether you are a Council tenant or have a private landlord), Council Tax Benefit or Second Adult Rebate.
Application forms are available:
- in person at Fareham Borough Council's Customer Service Centre,
- by phone on 01329 236100 ext 4646.
- by post by writing to Benefits Office, Civic Offices, Civic Way, Fareham, PO16 7AZ
- contact us by email and we will send you a form or
- download the Housing Benefit Claim form (315 Kb)
Do not delay in filling out the forms. You can make a claim up to 13 weeks in advance if you know that your circumstances are going to change.
Your claim will be registered with us on the date you contact us with your intention to claim. You will have 1 month from this initial date of contact to ensure a completed application form is received in the benefits office. |
Any delay in making your claim could mean that you lose out on benefit.
Normally your benefit will start from the Monday after your initial contact with the benefits office. If your claim has been made at the same time as a claim for Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance, we will award Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit from the Monday following the first day of your entitlement to the other benefits.
In certain circumstances your claim can be backdated for up to 6 months. Please see our page relating to Backdating Claims.
Data Protection Statement that we have produced to tell us about your changes.
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