Preston says you need to provide evidence of your identity and, if this is a new claim, proof of your National Insurance number. For income claims, you’ll also need recent proof of income and capital.
| What you need | Acceptable evidence |
|---|---|
| Identity | Birth, marriage or civil partnership certificate; divorce, annulment, separation or ending of civil partnership papers in your current name; current valid passport; Biometric Residence Permit; medical card; television licence; gas, electricity, water or phone bill in your name from the last 3 months; current full or provisional driving licence; credit/debit/cash card; bank or building society statement not older than 4 weeks; passbook; HM Forces or Merchant Navy employment certificate; B79 prison release notice; letter from a solicitor, social worker, probation officer, doctor or HMRC; Home Office letter about immigration status; residence permit; Police Registration Certificate; Immigration and Nationality Directorate travel document; standard acknowledgement letter (SAL1 or 2); Application Registration Card (ARC); home detention curfew licence |
| National Insurance number | P45 or P60; HMRC tax or tax credit letter; bank statements showing Direct Debit payments for class-2 NI contributions or benefit payments with your NI number on them; payslips, salary statement, or works pension statement showing your NI number; letter from the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus; National Insurance Number card |
| Income/capital proof | Payslips for the last five weeks if paid weekly, or the last two months if paid monthly; all payslips must follow each other with no gaps |
| Universal Credit evidence | A copy of the relevant page from your Universal Credit journal showing the UC elements and amounts, any deductions, and the start and end dates of the award period |
Preston also says you need one document for you and one for your partner, if you have a partner. If you’re applying for benefits, you can upload your documents using the E-Claim upload form or use the My Scan app, email them, or post them in.