Worthing Borough Council

How to claim

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Lines open 9am to 5pm - Monday to Friday
Council Tax and Business Rates: 01903 221061
Housing and Council Tax Benefit: 01903 221062

revsbens@worthing.gov.uk

There are three different ways in which a claim can be made (please also see the page about Rapid Reclaims):

1. Claiming directly from the Council

You can claim benefit directly from the Council using the Council’s own claim form.  You will be asked to provide any additional information needed to verify your identity, income, capital, rent or any other aspect of the claim (details of the documents we need are included in the claim form).  Once the Council has all the information needed we will assess your entitlement to Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit.  Follow this link to download a council claim form.

2. Claiming from the Jobcentre Plus or Social Security Office

People of working age who visit the Jobcentre Plus Office (the local Social Security Office) to make a claim for Jobseekers Allowance or Income Support will be aksed whether they want to claim Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit.  If they do, a claim form will be completed at Jobcentre Plus, copies of supporting documents will be taken and then the form and supporting douments will be forwarded to the Council Offices.  If the Council needs any further information to be provided in order that entitlement can be assessed, we will write to you.

Click here for contact details for the Worthing JobCentre Plus office.

3. Claiming from the Pension Service

People over 60 years of age can contact the Pension Service directly to make a claim for Pension Credit.  The Pension Service will be able to provide a form HCTB1 for the customer to make a claim for Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit, which can be completed and returned either to the Pension Service (when it will be sent to the Council) or directly to the Council Offices.  Again, the Council may ask the customer to provide further information and when everything is provided, entitlement to benefit will be assessed.

Contact the Pension Service by telephoning 0845 6060 265.

It's important that in every case the form is returned to the Council, Jobcentre Plus or Pension Service as soon as possible so that the ‘date of claim’ is established from which the start of entitlement is calculated.  This is because entitlement usually begings from the Monday following the date of claim.

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