Wigan Council Tax Reduction Evidence: What Documents You Need to Claim

The Documents Wigan Council Requires

Missing or incomplete evidence is the single most common reason CTR claims are delayed or rejected. Wigan Council needs to verify your identity, income, savings, and household circumstances before they can calculate your entitlement. Assemble everything before you open the online portal — the form times out, and hunting for a bank statement mid-application risks losing your progress.

Identity and Residence

You need two distinct forms of identification for each applicant (and their partner if claiming jointly):

• National Insurance number confirmation (NI card, letter from HMRC, or DWP correspondence showing the number)
• Passport, driving licence, or other photo ID
• A utility bill, tenancy agreement, or Council Tax bill showing your current address

The Council Tax reference number on your bill links you to the property — have it to hand when you start the application.

Income Evidence by Employment Type

Employed: Provide five consecutive weekly payslips, three fortnightly payslips, or two monthly payslips. These must show gross pay, net pay, income tax deducted, and National Insurance contributions. Old payslips from months ago won't do — the council wants your most recent earnings.

Self-employed: This requires the most paperwork. Have your cashbook or business records covering the last 3 to 12 months, a profit and loss statement for the current trading period, and your most recent HMRC self-assessment tax return if you've filed one. Invoices and receipts for major deductible expenses should be available if questioned.

Universal Credit: Download a full PDF or screenshot of your latest UC monthly statement from your online journal. The council needs the complete breakdown — every element, every deduction — not just the total payment figure. Partial statements lead to requests for further information.

Other benefits: Award letters for ESA, JSA, Pension Credit, PIP, DLA, Carer's Allowance, or Child Benefit. The council uses these to verify which disregards and premiums apply to your means test.

Bank Statements

This is the evidence people most often get wrong. Wigan Council requires:

• Two full consecutive months of statements
• For every account you and your partner hold — current accounts, savings accounts, ISAs, joint accounts, and digital bank accounts (Monzo, Starling, Revolut, PayPal). Include evidence of premium bonds or other investments as well.
• Each statement must show the account holder name, account number, and full transaction history

The council looks at your balances to verify your capital sits below the relevant threshold (£12,000 for standard working-age or £16,000 for protected households with a child under five). They also check incoming payments to verify your declared income matches what hits your accounts.

Two common mistakes: forgetting a savings account you rarely use, and providing statements that don't cover two full months. Both trigger requests for further information, delaying your claim.

Child Under 5 Evidence

If you're claiming the protected 100% maximum rate because you have a child under five, you'll need proof of the child's exact date of birth:

• Child Benefit award letter (the best option — it confirms the child's DOB and your responsibility)
• Birth certificate
• Official adoption record

The child's date of birth determines when your protection expires. Get this right the first time.

How to Submit

Upload documents through the online portal during your application and follow its current file-format and size instructions. If you don't have a scanner, use your smartphone camera — take a clear, well-lit photo of each document, making sure all text is legible and the full page is visible.

For documents with multiple pages (bank statements), photograph or scan every page. A three-page statement with only two pages uploaded will be flagged as incomplete.

If you need help submitting documents digitally, Wigan Life Centre North and Leigh Life Centre offer public PC access and assisted digital submission. Contact or visit the centre to ask about the current process.

The Wigan Council Tax Reduction guide includes a printable evidence checklist organised by employment type, so you can tick off each document before you start the application.

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