Can I get housing benefit and council tax benefit if I am working or self-employed?
Yes. You can get help to pay your rent and council tax even if you are working or self-employed. The amount of benefit you will get depends on the amount of money you are earning.
What information do I need to give you if I am working?
When you complete and return your claim form, you will also be asked to provide details of your earnings. You will need to send us:
- your last five payslips, if you are paid weekly
- your last three payslips, if you are paid fortnightly
- your last two payslips, if you are paid monthly or four-weekly
If you do not have any payslips, please use the certificate of earnings at the bottom of this page and ask your employer to complete it.
What happens if I have just started work?
If you can't provide payslips, don't 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.
If you don't have any payslips, we will accept a letter from your employer confirming your expected income and your expected tax and national insurance deductions.
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 profit and loss accounts. Alternatively, you can complete our self-employed earnings form at the bottom of this page.
What about 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. We can only take into account half of the amount of contribution you make into a pension scheme from your wages. We will have to take the other half into account as earned income when we assess your claim.
If you need more information, please contact the Benefits Service.