How to apply
To claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit you must first complete an application form.
If you have applied for Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance, you may also have completed a form at the Benefits Agency for Housing Benefit called an NHB1 (HB) and/or a form for Council Tax Benefit called an NHB1 (CTB). Unfortunately, these forms do not provide enough information and although they are used to register your claim, you will also have to complete one of the Council's Housing Benefit and Council Tax application forms that is available to download/print below, or from the Civic Centre and the Swanscombe and Temple Hill cashiers' offices.
- BENEFIT FORMS- IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- BENEFIT CLAIM FORM (PDF document)
- CERTIFICATE OF EARNINGS FORM (PDF document)
Verifying Information Dartford Borough Council is Verification Framework compliant, which is a national standard that is designed to prevent fraud and error entering the benefits system. This means that all original documentation will have to be seen and copied by benefits staff. We do not accept photocopies.
Proof of Identification and National Insurance Number is required for the applicant and their partner (if they have one).
You can bring your documents to the Civic Centre or the Swanscombe or Temple Hill cashiers' offices where they will be copied whilst you wait.
Alternatively, you can send documents through the post and copies will be taken and the original documents sent back to you. However, we do not recommend that you send any important documentation such as benefit books, passports etc., through the post as post can be lost.
If you are unable to get to our offices, we can arrange to send a Visiting Officer to your home. They will collect any information that supports your claim and will return it to you when we have taken copies. Please remember that you must continue to pay your rent and council tax bills until your claim has been processed and you have been informed of the award.
