How can I claim?

The Benefits Section is situated in the Finance Revenues office based at The Office Headquarters, 8 North Ness Business Park Lerwick. The office has good access for disabled customers and customers who rely on public transport.

Good customer service is an essential part of providing a quality Benefit service. Our staff will respond promptly, politely and sensitively to all of our customers. We believe we communicate well with customers, which is helped by our face to face personal approach based way we prefer to deal with benefit matters.

Telephone 01595 744682 to request an application form or call in person at The Office Headquarters, 8 North Ness Business Park, Lerwickwhere a benefits officer will be available, if required, to help you complete the benefit application form and advise you of the information required to process the claim and give details of the time limits for providing information.

Alternatively complete and return either Benefit Claim Form (Printable) or Benefit Claim Form (Online) .

To make a claim please print off, fill out and return the application form request .

You can request an application form by writing to:

Benefits Section
Shetland Islands Council
Office Headquarters
8 North Ness Business Park
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0LZ

Benefits officers will provide additional support for vulnerable customers by offering a home visit to assist with the completion of forms and providing guidance on any element of the service.

If you would like to arrange for someone to act on your behalf for example a relative or solicitor, or would like to act on behalf of someone claiming benefit please contact us for further information.

What are Housing and Council Tax Benefits?

The Housing and Council Tax Benefit Schemes are administered by Shetland Islands Council, on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions, to help people on low incomes with their rent and Council Tax payments.

It is assessed based on your income, savings and the people living in your household. Within this calculation, there is a maximum amount of benefit you will be able to receive.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are governed by law passed by the Westminster Parliament. All claims assessed by the Benefits Section are in accordance with government legislation, Department for Work and Pensions policy, case law and council policy.

This page tells you:

• who can get Housing and Council Tax Benefit
• how to claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit
• how we calculate how much Housing and Council Tax Benefit you can get
• what information we need from you

Who can claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit?

Anyone who has to pay rent or Council Tax can claim.

• You can claim Housing Benefit even if you are working
• You don’t need to have made any National Insurance contributions
• You can still claim Housing Benefit even if you are not getting any other benefits

Anyone who has to pay rent for their home can claim Housing Benefit if you live in:

• A council house
• Privately rented accommodation
• A hostel
• A hotel
• A guest house or other similar accommodation
• Or other types of rented accommodation (except most residential care or nursing home)

Anyone who is liable for Council Tax can claim Council Tax Benefit if you live in:

• A council house
• A privately rented or housing association accommodation
• A house you are buying or have already bought

To be entitled to Housing and Council Tax Benefit you must:

• Live in the UK
• Occupy the dwelling as your home and be liable to pay rent and Council Tax for the dwelling

Second Adult Rebate

Second Adult Rebate is help with your Council Tax bill if you share your home with one or more adults. To qualify for Second Adult Rebate the person who shares your home with you must not be your partner.

Who cannot get Housing and Council Tax Benefit?

Housing Benefit is NOT available if you:

• Have capital of £16,000 or more in bank and/or building society accounts, investments, cash and property etc (not applicable if you receive guarantee credit element of pension credit)
• Are in a co-ownership scheme
• Own your own home or are buying your own home
• Are in a nursing home or residential care home
• Are a full-time student in higher education (unless you are in an exempt category i.e. single parents)
  
• Live in the same household as and, have to pay rent, to a close relative, in-law or employer
  

Council Tax Benefit is NOT available if you:

• Have capital of £16,000 or more in bank and/or building society accounts, investments, cash and property etc (not applicable if you receive guarantee credit element of pension credit)

The documents you need to supply

When you make a claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit we always need to see original documents for you, your partner and any other people who live in your household. Copies will not be accepted.

Documents can be brought to or sent to our Office Headquarters. Any documents posted to the Council will be returned by second-class post.

However, the Benefits Section will not accept responsibility for the loss of any documents sent by post. It is therefore recommended that you bring any valuable documents to our office at:

Office Headquarters
8 North Ness Business Park
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0LZ

In order to process your claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit we will need to see the following:

• Evidence of identity for both you and your partner (proof of who you are, for example, a passport, birth certificate or driving licence)
• Evidence of the National Insurance Number for you and your partner
• Evidence of all income for both you and your partner and any other people who live in your household (for example last five payslips if paid weekly or your last two payslips if paid monthly). Don’t worry if you haven’t got payslips, you can ask your employer to fill in a form which you can get from us or download the form (PDF)
• Evidence of all capital (for example statements for all bank and building society accounts, investments, cash, property etc) for you and your partner.

In order to process your claim for Housing Benefit we will also need to see the evidence of the rent you pay.