Service Returning British nationals and claimants from overseas
Please complete the online form by clicking on the blue start button.
- If you are from one of the countries listed below* you can claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction unless the Home Office say that you are to leave the UK, or if you are not judged to be habitually resident
Government guidance on the Habitual Residency Test - a test based on how long you have lived in the UK and your future plans - is available in the Housing section under Annexe 1 of their website.
*Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & United Kingdom (UK).
- EEA nationals who are awarded Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) on or after 1 April 2014 cannot claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction unless the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) consider them to have retained 'worker status'. Worker status is unlikely to last more than six months after which time Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction will end.
Data Protection
Find out about our Privacy Notices and how we will use information about you.
Start the journey
More info about the journey
- Details of any work you have done during the last 2 years
- Details of any property you own in the UK or abroad
- Evidence of any substantial purchases you have made since arriving in the UK
We aim to make a decision within 14 days of you giving us all the information we need.
If evidence is needed, please supply this as quickly as possible. We will write or email to confirm what we require.
You can now email your evidence to benefits@eastdevon.gov.uk. We can accept scanned images or photographs of your evidence.
The quicker you provide the information, the quicker we can make a decision.