Housing Benefit has been replaced by Universal Credit and is no longer available for most people. This is because Universal Credit includes a housing element.

To make sure that you apply for the correct support, please read the following 3 statements and check if any of them apply to you:

• you live in certain supported accommodation or temporary accommodation
• you’ve reached State Pension age
• you’re part of a couple where one of you has reached State Pension Age and are receiving Pension Credit

If at least 1 of these 3 statements apply, you need to apply below for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support.

If none of the 3 statements apply, you need to apply for Universal Credit but you also need to apply for Council Tax Support if you need help with paying your Council Tax bill.

How to apply

To apply online, you will need to know:

• what benefits you already receive or have claimed
• your National Insurance number
• details of any outstanding benefit claims

For Bournemouth residents:

For Christchurch or Poole residents:

You can recover a partially completed form, however we only keep these for 30 days.

Self-employed assessment form

If you’re applying for Housing Benefit and you or your partner are self-employed, we normally need you to provide a current profit and loss account. We cannot calculate your income from receipts and or weekly/monthly income and expenditure records.

If you do not have a profit and loss account, please complete and then submit the online Supplementary self-employed earnings information form.

Christchurch and Poole residents

Complete the online self employed earnings form.

Standard reclaim

If you’re already claiming Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support and your Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based), Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related) or Pension Credit (Guarantee) has ceased, please complete the following forms.

• Bournemouth residents - change of circumstances form
• Christchurch and Poole residents - standard reclaim form

Sending your evidence to us

Evidence we can receive online

We can accept evidence online such as digital photos, scanned images and email documents to support new claims and changes in circumstances.

Evidence such as a certificate of rent, tenancy agreement, wage slips, earnings certificates, bank statements, Department for Works and Pension letters, self-employed accounts, utility bills, birth certificates for children can all be accepted.

Scanned images must be clear and easy to read. Please make sure the original documents have not been tampered with before being scanned, such as Tippex or alterations.

If we have any doubts about the images we receive, we may still ask to see the original documents.

Bournemouth residents

Email your evidence to benefits.bournemouth@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. Please add your name, address, National Insurance number and/or a reference number in the subject line.

Christchurch and Poole residents

Complete the online evidence request form and attach your documents.

Original documents

You must send us the original documents being used as identification and proof of a National Insurance number for either the claimant and/or partner, like a passport or driving licence.

Post them to:

Revenues and Benefits Services
BCP Council Civic Centre
Bourne Avenue
Bournemouth
BH2 6DY

If you already receive Housing Benefit and your circumstances change, please let us know.