Check your eligibility for benefit using the online calculators at www.entitledto.co.uk (opens new window)


Waveney District Council's Benefits Service helps people who are on low income. There are two main types of benefit :-

• Housing Benefit to help with rent
• Council Tax Benefit to help with Council Tax

11,700 people currently receive Housing or Council Tax Benefit from Waveney District Council


The Benefit will be paid :-

• By reducing the amount of Council Tax payable
• By reducing the rent payable by Council Tenants
• By cheque to private tenants (or to their landlord)

Applying for Benefit

• Download a Housing and Council Tax Benefit Application Form (247Kb) (Opens new window)

Please provide original supporting documentation to us, the sooner you provide it then we can pay the benefit to you (as long as you satisfy the rules we adhere to)

If you are applying for Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support or Incapacity Benefit YOU MUST complete the form at Job Centre Plus.
If this is the route you take and you are in rented accommodation please let us know your details of your rent as the Job Centre DO NOT ask for this and the same applies if you have non dependants living with you

The above also applies if you are a pensioner as you must complete the form with the Pension Service.

Pension Service telephone number is 0800 991234

Job Centre Plus telephone number is 0800 0556688


The following leaflets are available to download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format:

• Housing & Council Tax Benefits Information (98Kb) (opens new window)
• Benefits - How to Appeal (113Kb) (opens new window)
• How to Claim Backdated Benefit (121Kb) (opens new window)
• Discretionary Housing Payments Application Form (110Kb) (Opens new window)

Your Rights and Duties

Waveney is committed to ensuring that every person receives all the benefits to which they are entitled.

Our Benefits Section will help you :

• To get other benefits such as Social Security
• With advice on other aspects of Council

We have a duty to ensure benefit claims are correct and to investigate when we suspect fraud. Our Housing Benefit Investigations Unit undertake regular checks and investigations. They will be pleased to speak to anyone who suspects that benefit is being granted incorrectly.

We also have a 'Fraud Hotline' which you can use to leave a message on a secure answering machine concerning suspected fraud in any area of the Council's work. (telephone number below)

What if things go wrong?

The Benefits Service has procedures for people who think their benefit is wrong.

You should write and ask for a full written explanation of how your benefit has been worked out.

If you disagree with anything in the explanation provided, you may ask for an internal review.

If you are still not satisfied, you may appeal to the Independant Tribunal Service who will examine your case and make a decision about your benefit. A form for this is available to download (see top of this page) or by contacting the Benefits Section.

We would ask you to

• Promptly return any forms with all necessary information
• Tell us as soon as possible if:
  1. You move home
  2. Your personal circumstances change
  3. Your income changes either up or down

Contact Information

Housing / Council Tax Benefits

The Address of the Revenues & Benefits Office is:

Revenue and Benefits Office
Compass Street Annex
Compass Street
Lowestoft
Suffolk
NR32 1HS

The opening hours of the above office are:
9.00am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday

Telephone: 01502 523535

For posting completed forms (and please remember to include your original documents) please send by recorded delivery to:

Waveney District Council
Revenues and Benefits Service
P O Box 97
Lowestoft
NR32 1HD

or

Hand deliver to one of our local offices located in Beccles, Bungay,Halesworth and Southwold or to Revenues and Benefits admin centre at Compass Street, Lowestoft.

Forms can also be handed in at Marina House, Battery Green Road, Lowestoft (ex benefit office next to the Marina Theatre) and they can verify and photocopy original documents for you.

E-mail: benefits@waveney.gov.uk

Housing Benefits Investigations

If you know or suspect someone is committing fraud please complete the online Benefit Fraud Reporting Form

View guidance notes for completing Waveney District Council’s Report of Suspected Fraud form.

By Telephone: 01502 523237

By Post:
Housing Benefits Investigations
Town Hall High Street
Lowestoft
NR32 1HS

By E-mail: hb.investigations@waveney.gov.uk

FRAUD HOTLINE -

Freephone 0800 328 6340 (8.30am to 6.30pm)
Textphone 0800 328 6341 or
outside office hours you can use our answer phone service on 01502 523333

View further information about Housing Benefits Investigations


The following forms can be filled in online, printed, signed and returned to us:

• Online Agency Subject Request Form (Benefits) (opens new window)

Our Benefits Service Promises

We will:

• Advise you before you start a tenancy of the maximum Housing Benefit that you may be entitled to receive
• Provide a Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit Claim form on request or by return of post
• Explain any parts of the claim form that you do not understand
• Notify you of your benefit entitlement as soon as practicable
• Arrange a home visit if for good reason you cannot get out of your home easily and you have no-one else to help you
• On matters of confidentiality comply with the Data Protection Act