Housing Benefit

Eligibility

Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you’re unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It’s being replaced by Universal Credit.

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if either of the following apply:

you have reached State Pension age

you’re in supported, sheltered or temporary housing

You’ve reached State Pension age

If you’re single you can make a new claim for Housing Benefit.

If you’re over State Pension age and live with your partner

You can make a new claim for Housing Benefit if any of the following apply:

you and your partner have both reached State Pension age

one of you has reached State Pension age and started claiming Pension Credit (for you as a couple) before 15 May 2019

If you’re over State Pension age and have an existing claim

Your existing claim will not be affected if, before 15 May 2019, you:

were getting Housing Benefit

had reached State Pension age

It does not matter if your partner is under State Pension age.

If your circumstances change and your Housing Benefit is stopped, you cannot start getting it again unless you and your partner are eligible to make a new claim.

You can apply for Universal Credit if you’re not eligible.

If you’re in supported, sheltered or temporary housing

You can make a new claim if:

you’re living in temporary accommodation, such as a B&B arranged by your council

you’re living in a refuge for survivors of domestic abuse

you’re living in sheltered or supported housing (such as a hostel) which provides you with ‘care, support or supervision’

If you do not get ‘care, support or supervision’ through your supported or sheltered housing, you can apply for Universal Credit to help with housing costs.

If you’re in supported, sheltered or temporary housing, you can apply for Universal Credit to help with other living costs.

When you may not be able to claim

Usually, you will not get Housing Benefit if:

your savings are over £16,000 - unless you get Guarantee Credit of Pension Credit

you’re paying a mortgage on your own home - you may be able to get Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)

you live in the home of a close relative

you’re already claiming Universal Credit (unless you’re in temporary or supported housing)

you live with your partner and they are already claiming Housing Benefit

you’re a full-time student

you’re residing in the UK as a European Economic Area jobseeker

you’re an asylum seeker or sponsored to be in the UK

you’re subject to immigration control and your granted leave states that you cannot claim public funds

you’re a Crown Tenant

you’ve reached State Pension age but your live-in partner has not - unless you had an existing claim as a couple before 15 May 2019

You may be able to get other help with housing costs.

If not, you’ll need to claim Universal Credit instead.

Use a benefits calculator to check if you can get Housing Benefit before you apply

What you'll get

You may get help with all or part of your rent. There’s no set amount of Housing Benefit and what you get will depend on whether you rent privately or from a council.

Use a benefits calculator to work out what you could get or check what extra help is available.

Council and social housing rent

How much you get depends on:

your ‘eligible’ rent

if you have a spare room

your household income - including benefits, pensions and savings (over £6,000)

your circumstances, for example the age of people in the house or if someone has a disability

Eligible rent

Your eligible rent is the amount used to calculate your Housing Benefit claim. It’s your actual rent plus any service charges you have to pay (such as for lift maintenance or a communal laundry) but not things like heating or water costs for your home.

Spare bedrooms

Your Housing Benefit could be reduced if you live in council or social housing and have a spare  bedroom. The reduction is:

14% of the ‘eligible rent’ for 1 spare bedroom

25% of the ‘eligible rent’ for 2 or more spare bedrooms

Sharing bedrooms

The following are expected to share:

an adult couple

2 children under 16 of the same sex

2 children under 10 (regardless of sex)

The following can have their own bedroom:

a single adult (16 or over)

a child that would normally share but shared bedrooms are already taken, for example you have 3 children and 2 already share

a couple or children who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition

an overnight carer for you, your partner, your child or another adult - this is only if the carer does not live with you but sometimes has to stay overnight

One spare bedroom is allowed for:

an approved foster carer who is between placements but only for up to 52 weeks from the end of the last placement

a newly approved foster carer for up to 52 weeks from the date of approval if no child is placed with them during that time

Rooms used by students and members of the armed or reserve forces will not be counted as ‘spare’ if they’re away and intend to return home.

Private rent

If you rent privately, your eligible rent amount is either your Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate or your actual rent, whichever is lower. The LHA rate is based on:

where you live

your household size - find out how many bedrooms you’re eligible for

How much you can get

How much you get depends on:

the lower figure of your ‘eligible’ rent or LHA rate

your household income including benefits, pensions and savings (over £6,000)

your circumstances (for example your age or whether you have a disability)

Contact your local council if you’re living in:

a houseboat or a mooring

a caravan site

a room with any meals included in the rent (sometimes known as a boarding home)

a hostel

a Rent Act protected property

Exception

If you’ve been getting Housing Benefit since before 7 April 2008, these limits only apply if you:

change address

have a break in your claim for Housing Benefit

How you’re paid

The way you get paid Housing Benefit by your council depends on the type of tenant you are.

If you’re a:

council tenant, it’s paid into your rent account (you will not receive the money)

private or housing association tenant, it’s paid into your bank or building society account (rarely by cheque)

The benefit cap

The benefit cap limits the total amount of benefit you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age.

If you’re affected, your Housing Benefit will go down to make sure that the total amount of benefit you get is not more than the cap level. Use the benefit cap calculator to find out how the benefit cap affects you.

Appeal a Housing Benefit decision

Contact your local council to appeal a Housing Benefit decision.

Supporting your claim

You’ll need to provide some information and evidence to support your claim for Housing Benefit.

You’ll get Housing Benefit faster if you have this available when you make your claim.

You’ll need to know:

how much rent you pay

whether anything else is included in the rent, such as water, gas or electricity charges

if you pay any service charges, including building maintenance or insurance

your landlord or agent’s details

Special types of tenancy

If your current tenancy started in 1997 or earlier and you rent from a private landlord, you’ll need to know if you have an ‘assured tenancy’. You can check your tenancy on the Shelter website.

If you live in and pay rent for a government property (a ‘Crown Tenant’), you’re not entitled to Housing Benefit. This includes armed forces living in service family accommodation (SFA).

Evidence you’ll have to provide

You’ll need to provide original documents, not copies. The supporting evidence you’ll need includes:

your most recent payslips (5 if paid weekly, or 2 if paid monthly)

bank or building society statements for the last 2 full months

proof of other income or investments, including shares, ISAs or Premium Bonds

proof of income for any non-dependants living with you, such as adult relatives or friends

You’ll also need proof of your partner’s name and address. You cannot use the same document to prove both their name and address.

Provide any 2 of the following:

UK photocard driving licence

current passport

birth or marriage certificate

biometric residence permit

certificate of registration or naturalisation

permanent residence card

letter from HMRC or the Home Office

recent utility bill

recent bank or building society statement

recent benefit award statements

If you rent from a private landlord

You’ll also need to provide one of the following:

a tenancy agreement or rent book

a letter from your landlord confirming your tenancy - this is usually supplied at the start of your tenancy

How to claim

Housing Benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit. Most people will need to claim Universal Credit instead.

Check if you’re eligible for Housing Benefit before you apply.

You can either apply:

through your local council

as part of a Pension Credit claim, if you’re eligible for this

You’ll need to provide evidence to support your Housing Benefit claim.

If you’re applying for Pension Credit

You can apply for Housing Benefit as part of your Pension Credit application.

Apply for Pension Credit online or contact the Pension Service to claim.

The Pension Service will send details of your claim for Housing Benefit to your council.

Claiming in advance and backdating

You can claim in advance by up to 13 weeks (or 17 weeks if you’re aged 60 or over), for example if you’re moving. You will not usually get any money before you move.

You might also be able to get your claim backdated - ask your council.

Appeal a decision

You can ask your council for a Housing Benefit decision to be reconsidered.

If you’re unhappy with the response you can appeal the decision.

Report a change of circumstances

You need to report a change of circumstances for you and anyone else in your house.

Your claim might be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change of circumstances straight away.

Changes can include:

starting or stopping work, education, training or an apprenticeship

changes to the benefits you or anyone else in your house gets

changes to your personal or workplace pension

changes to your savings, investments or property

your income going up or down

moving house

your rent going up or down

going abroad for any length of time

going into hospital, a care home or sheltered accommodation

people moving into or out of your house (for example your partner, a child or lodger)

having a baby

your partner or someone you live with dying

your child turning 18

changes to your immigration status, if you’re not a British citizen

Contact your council if you’re not sure whether you need to report a change.

How to report

Report a change of circumstances to your council.

If you receive other benefits

You need to report a change of circumstances for all benefits you receive.

If your other benefits stop

Some benefits stop if you go back to work, work more hours or earn more money.

If this happens, your council might:

give you an extra 4 weeks of housing benefit (‘Extended Payment of Housing Benefit’)

start paying you an ‘in-work Housing Benefit’

You do not have to claim - your council will decide if you’re eligible for help and write to let you know.

If you’ve been paid too much

You may have to repay the money if you:

did not report a change straight away

gave wrong information

were overpaid by mistake

Find out how to repay the money you owe from benefit overpayment.

Other help with housing costs

Housing Benefit will not cover heating, hot water, energy or food. If you need help, use a benefits calculator to see what else you might be entitled to.

Extra help to pay the rent

You could also apply for extra help from your council if your Housing Benefit does not cover your rent. This is called a Discretionary Housing Payment.

Help with heating costs

Check what help you can get with heating and energy costs.


Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)

Overview

If you’re a homeowner, you might be able to get help towards interest payments on:

your mortgage

loans you’ve taken out for certain repairs and improvements to your home

This help is called Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

It’s paid as a loan, which you’ll need to repay with interest when you sell or transfer ownership of your home (unless you’re moving the loan to another property).

You usually need to be getting, or treated as getting, a qualifying benefit to get SMI.

There’s no guarantee that you’ll get SMI for a mortgage or loan you take out.

What you cannot use SMI for

SMI cannot help you pay:

the amount you borrowed - only the interest on your mortgage

anything towards insurance policies you have

missed mortgage payments (arrears)

What you'll get

If you qualify for Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), you’ll usually get help paying the interest on up to £200,000 of your loan or mortgage.

However, you can only get up to £100,000 if either:

you’re getting Pension Credit

you started claiming another qualifying benefit before January 2009 and you were below State Pension age at that time

If you’re already getting SMI and move to Pension Credit within 12 weeks of stopping your other benefits, you’ll still get help with interest on up to £200,000.

The interest rate used to calculate the amount of SMI you’ll get is currently 2.09%.

What you’ll pay back

SMI is paid as a loan. You’ll need to repay the money you get with interest when you sell or transfer ownership of your home (unless you’re moving the loan to another property).

The interest added to the loan can go up or down, but the rate will not change more than twice a year. The current rate is 0.3%.

If you want to pay the loan back more quickly, you can also make voluntary repayments. The minimum voluntary repayment is £100 or the outstanding balance if it’s less than £100.

How SMI is paid

SMI is normally paid direct to your lender.

Payments can start either:

from the date you start getting Pension Credit

after you’ve received Universal Credit for 9 months in a row, as long as you’re not getting certain income

after you’ve claimed any other qualifying benefit for 39 weeks in a row

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loan, you usually need to be getting one of the following qualifying benefits:

Income Support

income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Universal Credit

Pension Credit

Contact the relevant office to check if you’re eligible for SMI.

You can start getting the loan:

after you’ve claimed Income Support, income-based JSA or income-based ESA for 39 weeks in a row

If you receive Universal Credit

You cannot get SMI if you get any of the following income:

earnings from your job if you’re employed or self-employed

a tax refund

Statutory Sick Pay

Statutory Maternity Pay

Statutory Paternity Pay

Statutory Adoption Pay

Statutory Shared Parental Pay

To start getting SMI (or get it again if your SMI stopped), you’ll need to stop getting this income and then get Universal Credit for 9 months in a row.

If your income is too high to get a qualifying benefit

You might still be able to get SMI if you apply for one of the qualifying benefits but cannot get it because your income is too high. You’ll then be treated as getting the benefit you applied for.

You will not be treated as getting Universal Credit if you cannot get it because your income is too high.

How to apply

When you apply for a qualifying benefit, you’ll be asked extra questions about your housing costs to find out if you’re eligible for Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). You might also be sent a form asking for more detailed information.

If you qualify for SMI, you’ll be offered a loan.

If you turn down the offer at first, you can still accept it at any time as long as you’re eligible for SMI. The payments to your lender will be backdated to when you were first entitled to the loan. Contact the office that pays your benefit.

If you already get a qualifying benefit

Contact the office that pays your benefit to find out if you could get an SMI loan.

If you get or have applied for Income Support, income-based JSA or income-related ESA, contact Jobcentre Plus.

If you get or have applied for Pension Credit, contact the Pension Service.

If you get or have applied for Universal Credit, contact the Universal Credit helpline.

Repaying your loan

You’ll need to repay your SMI loan with interest if you sell or transfer ownership of your home.

The interest you pay can go up or down, but the rate will not change more than twice a year. The current rate is 0.3%. You’ll be told if this is going to change.

Selling your home

You will not be asked to sell your home in order to repay your SMI loan.

If you sell your home, you’ll repay the SMI loan from what’s left after you pay:

your mortgage

any home improvement loans

any other loans secured against your home

If you do not have enough left to pay off all of the SMI loan, you will have to pay back what you can. The rest of the loan will be written off.

If you’re buying a new home

You may be able to transfer the loan to your new home. Contact DWP Loan Management as soon as you know you intend to move, and before you complete your sale.

You’ll need to give DWP Loan Management your solicitor’s contact details. They will work with your solicitor to arrange for the loan to be moved to your new home.

The office paying your qualifying benefit will also check you’re still eligible.

Voluntary repayments

How to repay

Contact DWP Loan Repayment to ask for a ‘settlement letter’ - this will tell you how much you need to pay.

You can pay by telephone or online banking using the bank account details in your settlement letter.

Get other financial help with your housing costs

You can still get financial help with your housing costs if your Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance is going to stop because you are about to:

return to work full-time

work more hours

earn more money

Help and support

You can get free information about housing support from:

Citizens Advice

Money Advice Service

Shelter


Mortgage Interest Run On

Overview

Mortgage Interest Run On is extra money you can get towards your housing costs if certain other benefits are stopping because you’re:

returning to work full-time

working more hours

earning more money

You can get this help for 4 weeks.

What you'll get

If you’re eligible and were getting Support for Mortgage Interest before your work situation changed, you’ll usually continue to get the same amount as you were getting before your benefits stopped.

Payments for your mortgage or loan interest will be paid direct to you instead of to your lender.

Eligibility

You can claim Mortgage Interest Run On if you’ve stopped getting income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support or income-related Employment and Support Allowance because you’re:

returning to work full-time

working more hours

earning more money

All of the following must also apply:

you’ve been claiming the benefit continuously for at least 26 weeks

you expect the work (or more money) to last for 5 weeks or more

you were entitled to help with your housing costs before your work started and you’ll still have these costs when you start work

How to claim

You don’t need to apply - you should get Mortgage Interest Run On automatically. You just need to let your Jobcentre Plus office know as soon as you’re starting work.


Warm Home Discount Scheme

Overview

You could get £140 off your electricity bill for winter 2021 to 2022 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme. The scheme opens on 18 October 2021.

The money is not paid to you - it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between October and March.

You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity. Contact your supplier to find out.

The discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.

Eligibility

There are 2 ways to qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme:

you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit - known as the ‘core group’

you’re on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme - known as the ‘broader group’

How you apply for the Warm Home Discount Scheme depends on how you qualify for the discount.

Pre-pay or pay-as-you-go meters

You can still qualify for the discount if you use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter.

Your electricity supplier can tell you how you’ll get the discount if you’re eligible, for example a voucher you can use to top up your meter.

Park (mobile) homes

You apply a different way if you live in a park home.

Park home applications for winter 2021 to 2022 will open in autumn 2021.

Fill in the Park Homes Warm Home Discount contact form to be told when the scheme reopens.

Contact Charis Grants for more information about the scheme.

If you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit

You qualify for the discount if on 4 July 2021 all of the following apply:

your energy supplier is part of the scheme

your name (or your partner’s) is on the bill

you or your partner are getting the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well)

This is known as being in the ‘core group’.

How to apply

You’ll receive a letter between October and December 2021 telling you how to get the discount if you qualify.

Your letter will say if you need to call a helpline by 28 February 2022 to confirm your details.

Your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill by 31 March 2022.

If you do not get a letter

Contact the Warm Home Discount helpline if you do not get the letter by 31 December and you think you’re eligible for the ‘core group’.

Do not contact the Warm Home Discount helpline if you’re not eligible for the ‘core group’.

Check if you’re eligible to apply another way.

If you’re on a low income

You may be able to apply directly to your electricity supplier for help if you do not get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit but:

you’re on a low income

you get certain means-tested benefits

This is known as being in the ‘broader group’.

To get the discount you’ll need to stay with your supplier until it’s paid.

How to apply

Your electricity supplier decides who can get the discount.

The number of discounts suppliers can give is limited. Check with your supplier as early as possible to see if you’re eligible and how to apply.

Check with them even if you were eligible for a discount last year.

Energy suppliers

The following suppliers were part of the scheme in winter 2020 to 2021:

Affect Energy – see Octopus Energy

Atlantic – see SSE

Avro Energy

Boost

Bristol Energy - only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’

British Gas

British Gas Evolve (formerly British Gas X)

Bulb Energy

Co-op Energy - see Octopus Energy

E (Gas and Electricity)

E.ON

Ecotricity - only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’

EDF Energy

Green Energy UK (GEUK) - only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’

Green Network Energy

Green Star Energy - see Shell Energy

iSupply Energy - see EDF Energy

London Power – see Octopus Energy

Lumo - see OVO

M&S Energy – see Octopus Energy

npower

nPower Select - see E.ON Next

Octopus Energy

OVO

Powershop

Pure Planet

Qwest Energy - see Octopus Energy

Roar Power - see Octopus Energy

Sainsbury’s Energy

Scottish Hydro – see SSE

ScottishPower

Shell Energy

So Energy

Southern Electric – see SSE

Spark

SSE

Swalec – see SSE

Symbio Energy

Tonik Energy -  see ScottishPower

Utilita

Utility Point - only if you’re eligible for the core group

Utility Warehouse


National Concessionary Fuel Scheme

Overview

You could get free solid fuel or a cash allowance for fuel if you’re an ex-employee of the National Coal Board (NCB) or British Coal Corporation (BCC).

You need to qualify to get the fuel allowance through the National Concessionary Fuel Scheme (NCFS), and you can only get the cash allowance if you’re already getting fuel through the scheme.

You might be eligible for the allowance if you’re the widow or widower of an ex-employee, if the employee qualified for the NCFS.

What you'll get

Solid fuel

If you qualify for the allowance you’ll get a delivery of solid fuel every 4 or 5 weeks, depending on where you live.

You might be able to change to ‘cash in lieu’ (or a cash allowance) if you already get fuel through the scheme and your circumstances have not changed.

You will need to return a Certificate of Continued Entitlement each year to keep your allowance.

How you’re paid

The cash allowance is paid every 3 months into your bank or building society account.

Eligibility

Contact the National Concessionary Fuel Office (NCFO) to check if you’re eligible.

You might be eligible for the National Concessionary Fuel Scheme (NCFS) if you’re:

a widow or widower of an ex-employee who would have been eligible

Change of circumstances

Your allowance might be affected if your circumstances change, including:

who owns or rents your property changes

you change your heating arrangements

you remarry, marry or move in with a partner (widows, widowers and dependents only)

who lives in your home changes (family or lodgers moving in)

you take up employment or self-employment

You need to inform the NCFO of any changes in circumstances as your allowance can change. If your allowance goes down, any overpayments must be repaid in full.

How to claim

Contact the National Concessionary Fuel Office (NCFO) to apply.

Applying on behalf of someone else

You can apply for the fuel allowance on behalf of someone else if they’re unable to.

You’ll need to get authorisation by having one of:

a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) stating that you are authorised to act on their behalf

a photocopy of your Power of Attorney

a letter signed by the person you are applying for stating that you are looking after their affairs

If payments are paid into a different account from the person getting the allowance, you need:

a photocopy of your Power of Attorney

a letter from DWP stating that you are looking after their financial affairs

a form from the NFCO signed by the person you are applying for

You need to contact the NFCO for the form or ‘mandate’.

Changing your delivery

Contact CPL Distribution on 0345 521 5214 to change your fuel delivery date and/or the amount of fuel you want delivered.

Find out about call charges.

Contact the NCFO to change the type of fuel you get. You can only get 1 type of fuel delivered at a time. Get advice about the types of fuel to use from the Solid Fuel Association.

You cannot sell or give away unused fuel. If you change your type of solid fuel appliance you must refuse deliveries and left over fuel must be collected by the distributor.

Switching from fuel to cash allowance

Contact NCFO with your bank or building society account details to switch from fuel to cash. You can switch back to solid fuel but only after 12 months.


Bereavement Support Payment

Eligibility

You may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) if your husband, wife or civil partner died in the last 21 months.

You must claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the full amount. You can claim up to 21 months after their death but you’ll get fewer monthly payments.

Bereavement Support Payment has replaced Bereavement Allowance (previously Widow’s Pension), Bereavement Payment, and Widowed Parent’s Allowance.

You could be eligible if your partner either:

paid National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in one tax year since 6 April 1975

died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work

When they died you must have been:

under State Pension age

living in the UK or a country that pays bereavement benefits

You cannot claim BSP if you’re in prison.

If your partner died more than 21 months ago

You may still be able to claim BSP if your husband, wife or civil partner’s cause of death was confirmed more than 21 months after the death. Call the Bereavement Service helpline.

If your husband, wife or civil partner died before 6 April 2017, you may be able to get Widowed Parent’s Allowance instead.

What you'll get

You’ll get a first payment and then up to 18 monthly payments. There are 2 rates.

| First payment | Monthly payment

Higher rate | £3,500 | £350

Lower rate | £2,500 | £100

If you get Child Benefit (or if you do not get it but are entitled to it), you’ll get the higher rate.

If you do not get Child Benefit, you’ll get the lower rate unless you were pregnant when your husband, wife or civil partner died.

You must claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the full amount. If you claim later, you’ll get fewer monthly payments.

Your payments will be paid into your bank or building society account.

If you get benefits

Bereavement Support Payment will not affect your benefits for a year after your first payment. After a year, money you have left from your first payment could affect the amount you get if you renew or make a claim for another benefit.

You must tell your benefits office (for example, your local Jobcentre Plus) when you start getting Bereavement Support Payment.

How to claim

How you apply depends on where you are.

If you’re in England, Scotland or Wales

The quickest way to apply is by phone. You can also apply using a paper form.

If you’ve arranged to pay your Self Assessment tax and National Insurance bill in instalments because of coronavirus (COVID-19), your application might be rejected. Contact HMRC before applying for Bereavement Support.

Apply by phone

Apply using a paper form

To get a form, you can either:

download a Bereavement Support Payment form (BSP1)

contact your nearest Jobcentre Plus to get one through the post

Fill in the claim form and send it to:

If you’re in Northern Ireland

There’s a different process in Northern Ireland.

If you’re abroad

Call the International Pension Centre to apply.


Get help with funeral costs (Funeral Expenses Payment)

How it works

You could get a Funeral Expenses Payment (also called a Funeral Payment) if you get certain benefits and need help to pay for a funeral you’re arranging.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

If you live in Scotland

You can apply for a Funeral Support Payment. It has replaced Funeral Expenses Payment in Scotland.

If you receive money from the deceased’s estate

Your Funeral Expenses Payment will be deducted from any money you get from the deceased’s estate.

The estate includes any money or property they had but not a house or personal things left to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner.

What you’ll get

Funeral Expenses Payment can help pay for some of the costs of the following:

burial fees for a particular plot

cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate

travel to arrange or go to the funeral

the cost of moving the body within the UK, if it’s being moved more than 50 miles

death certificates or other documents

You can also get up to £1,000 for any other funeral expenses, such as funeral director’s fees, flowers or the coffin.

The payment will not usually cover all of the costs of the funeral.

How much you get depends on your circumstances. This includes any other money that’s available to cover the costs, for example from an insurance policy or the deceased person’s estate.

Check the claim form notes for full details of what Funeral Expenses Payment covers.

If the deceased had a pre-paid funeral plan, you can only get up to £120 to help pay for items not covered by their plan.

How the money is paid

Funeral Expenses Payment is paid into your bank, building society or credit union account if you’ve already paid for the funeral.

The money will be paid directly to the organiser of the funeral (for example, the funeral director) if you have not paid yet.

Eligibility

You can get a Funeral Expenses Payment if all of the following apply:

you get certain benefits or tax credits

you meet the rules on your relationship with the deceased

you’re arranging a funeral in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland

You might be able to get other help to pay for the funeral if you’re not eligible for Funeral Expenses Payment.

Benefits and tax credits you must get

You (or your partner) must get one or more of the following:

Income Support

income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Pension Credit

Housing Benefit

the disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit

Child Tax Credit

Universal Credit

You might also be eligible if you’re getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

You can still claim Funeral Expenses Payment if you’ve applied for these benefits and you’re waiting to hear about your claim.

If you were responsible for a deceased child but you’re not their parent, the non-resident parent must get one or more of these benefits.

If there’s a close relative of the deceased who is not getting one of these benefits, you might not be able to claim Funeral Expenses Payment.

Rules on your relationship with the deceased

You must be one of the following:

the partner of the deceased when they died

a close relative or close friend of the deceased

the parent of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy

the parent or person responsible for a deceased child who was under 16 (or under 20 and in approved education or training)

You might not get a Funeral Expenses Payment if another close relative of the deceased (such as a sibling or parent) is in work.

If the funeral will take place in the EEA or Switzerland

Contact the Social Fund to check if you’re eligible.

Make a claim

You must apply within 6 months of the funeral, even if you’re waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit.

You can make a claim before the funeral if you’ve got an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director. It cannot be an estimate.

If you get Universal Credit, you will not get a decision on your claim until after your next payment.

There’s a different way to claim if you live in Northern Ireland.

How to claim

Claim by phone by calling the Bereavement Service helpline.

An adviser will also help you claim any other bereavement benefits you might be entitled to.

You can also claim by post. Download and fill in the claim form (SF200), then send it to the address on the form.

Appeal a Funeral Expenses Payment decision

You can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal if you disagree with a decision about Funeral Expenses Payment.


Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave

Overview

You and your partner may be able to take time off work if your child dies before they turn 18, or if you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The death or stillbirth must have happened on or after 6 April 2020.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You might be able to get leave, pay or both. You may be eligible for:

Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

There’s rules about when you can take your leave and pay and how to claim.

You can only claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave if you’re employed in England, Scotland or Wales.

Employment rights when on leave

Your employment rights are protected while on Parental Bereavement Leave. This includes your right to:

pay rises

build up (‘accrue’) holiday

return to work

What you can get

You may be able to get either or both Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of your employment for each child who has died or was stillborn if you’re eligible.

You can take:

2 weeks together

2 separate weeks of leave

only one week of leave

A week is the same number of days that you normally work in a week.

The leave:

can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth

must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

If you’re taking another type of statutory leave (for example, maternity leave or paternity leave) when the child dies or stillbirth happens, your Parental Bereavement Leave must start after the other leave has ended but does not have to be taken immediately after. This includes if the statutory leave is for another child.

If your Parental Bereavement Leave is interrupted by the start of another type of statutory leave, you can take your remaining entitlement to Parental Bereavement Leave after that other leave has ended.

Your remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth.

You can take Parental Bereavement Leave between blocks of shared parental leave that you booked before the child died. This includes if the shared parental leave is for another child.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll be able to get either £151.97 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) if you’re eligible.

Any money you get is paid the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, along with deductions for tax and National Insurance.

Check if you're eligible

To qualify for Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, you must meet the criteria both as a parent (including if you had day to day responsibility) and an employee. You might not be eligible for both, depending on your circumstances.

If you were the child’s parent or a parent’s partner

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were:

the child or baby’s parent - either biological, adoptive or parent of a child born to a surrogate

the partner of the child or baby’s parent

Biological parents of the child or baby will not be eligible for Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay after an adoption or parental order was made, unless there was a contact order in place.

If you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child

You may be eligible if both of the following apply:

the child or baby was living with you at your home for 4 continuous weeks, ending with the date of death

you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child or baby’s care during that time

If you or your partner were being paid to look after the child or baby, you do not qualify for leave or pay unless you were:

a foster parent being paid a fee or allowance by a local authority

reimbursed for expenses related to caring for the child or baby

getting payments under the terms of a will or trust for the child or baby’s care

You are not eligible if one of the child or baby’s parents or someone who had parental responsibility (parental responsibilities in Scotland) for the child was also living in the household.

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after the adoption order was granted

before the adoption order was made, if the child was placed with you and the placement was not disrupted (for example, being temporarily placed elsewhere) or stopped

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent of a child from outside the United Kingdom

If you or your partner were adopting a child from outside the United Kingdom and the adoption order had not yet been made, you may still be eligible. Both of the following must apply:

the child was living with you after entering Great Britain

you have the ‘official notification’ confirming you were allowed to adopt

If you or your partner had a baby with the help of a surrogate parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after a parental order was made

before a parental order was made if you had applied or intended to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth and expected it to be granted

Parental Bereavement Leave

To get Parental Bereavement Leave, you must also:

be classed as an employee - it does not matter how long you’ve worked for your employer

give your employer notice for Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

To get Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, you must have been continuously employed by your employer for at least 26 weeks up to the end of the ‘relevant week’. The ‘relevant week’ is the week (ending with a Saturday) immediately before the week of the death or stillbirth.

You must also:

continue to be employed up to the day the child dies or is stillborn

earn on average £120 a week before tax (gross) over an 8 week period

give your employer the correct notice and information for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If you usually earn an average of £120 or more a week, and you only earned less in some weeks because you were paid but not working (‘on furlough’) under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, you may still be eligible.

How to claim

You have 56 weeks to take Parental Bereavement Leave or claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay through your employer. This starts from the date of the child’s death.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks leave in one block or as 2 separate blocks of one week.

The 56 weeks are split into 2 periods:

from the date of the child’s death or stillbirth to 8 weeks after

9 to 56 weeks after the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you take Parental Bereavement Leave. How much notice depends on when you’re taking the leave.

0 to 8 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you would normally start work on the first day of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

9 to 56 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer at least one week’s notice before the start of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

Giving your employer notice

You must tell your employer:

the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

when you want your parental bereavement leave to begin

how much leave you are taking - either 1 or 2 weeks

You can speak to your employer by phone, leave a voicemail, send a text message or an email. You do not need to give them notice in writing (for example through a form or letter).

You do not need to give proof of death or stillbirth.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must ask for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay within 28 days, starting from the first day of the week you’re claiming the payment for.

Each time you claim, you must give your employer the following information in writing (for example a letter, email or form):

your name

the dates of the period you want to claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll also need to give a ‘declaration’ to your employer to confirm you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby. You only need to complete this once when you first ask for pay.

Completing the declaration

You can:

complete the declaration form online - this takes 5 minutes

declare in writing you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby

use your employers own form if they have one

Once you’ve completed your declaration, you’ll need to send it to your employer. They’ll check your information and your eligibility.

Cancelling your leave or pay

You can change your mind and cancel your Parental Bereavement Leave or Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay if you have given your employer more than the required notice for either taking leave or claiming pay.

To cancel your Parental Bereavement Leave or Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, you’ll need to tell your employer. When you need to tell them depends on when your leave or pay is due to start.

Parental Bereavement Leave

If your leave is due to start within 8 weeks of the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know about the cancellation no later than the time you would normally start work on the first day of planned leave.

If your leave is due to start 9 weeks or later after the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know no later than one week before the start of the planned leave.

If you cancel your leave, you can rebook it if you give your employer the correct notice.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If your pay was due to start within 8 weeks of the child’s death or stillbirth, you must give your employer notice on the first day of the week you want to cancel.

If your pay was due to start 9 weeks or later after the child’s death or stillbirth, you must tell your employer you want to cancel one week before your pay was due to start.


Widowed Parent's Allowance

Eligibility

Widowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA) is being replaced by Bereavement Support Payment.

You can only make a new claim for WPA if your husband, wife or civil partner died before 6 April 2017 and the cause of death has just been confirmed.

All the following must also apply:

you’re under State Pension age

you’re entitled to Child Benefit for at least one child and your late husband, wife or civil partner was their parent

your late husband, wife or civil partner paid National Insurance contributions, or they died as a result of an industrial accident or disease

You may also claim WPA if you were pregnant when your husband died, or you were pregnant after fertility treatment when your civil partner or wife died.

You cannot claim WPA if you:

were divorced from your husband, wife or civil partner when they died

remarry or are living with another person as if you’re married to them or as if you’ve formed a civil partnership

were over State Pension age when you were widowed or became a surviving civil partner – you may be able to get extra State Pension

are in prison

What you'll get

The amount you get is based on how much your late husband, wife or civil partner paid in National Insurance contributions.

The maximum Widowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA) is £122.55 a week.

If your husband, wife or civil partner died as a result of an industrial accident or disease, you may claim WPA even if they did not pay National Insurance contributions.

You’ll continue to get WPA until you either:

stop being entitled to Child Benefit

reach State Pension age

How WPA is paid

WPA is usually paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

Effect on other benefits

Other benefit payments you get may change when you start claiming WPA.

Once you get WPA, you must report it if you’re getting any of the following:

Income Support

Incapacity Benefit

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Carer’s Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance

Universal Credit

If you do not report changes straight away, you could be paid the wrong amount and have to pay it back. You might also have to pay a fine.

The benefit cap

The benefit cap limits the total amount of benefit you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age.

Some individual benefits are not affected, but it may affect the total amount of benefit you get.

How to claim

You can apply by phone or using a paper form.

Apply by phone

Call the Bereavement Service helpline.

Apply using a paper form

Download a Bereavement Benefits pack (form BB1) or email your local Jobcentre Plus to ask for a form.

The pack has notes to help you fill in the claim form.

Send your completed form to:

Alternative formats

Call the Bereavement Service helpline to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.

If you live abroad

Contact the International Pension Centre to find out if you can claim if you’ve moved abroad.

You must include your:

full name

date of birth

National Insurance number (if you know it)

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for ‘mandatory reconsideration’.

If your circumstances change

You must tell Dover Benefit Centre if you:

stop being entitled to Child Benefit

remarry or form a civil partnership

start to live with a partner as husband or wife, or as if you had formed a civil partnership

If you’ve been paid too much

You may have to repay the money if you:

did not report a change straight away

gave wrong information

were overpaid by mistake

Find out how to repay the money you owe from benefit overpayment.


War Widow(er) Pension

Overview

You may be entitled to War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension if your wife, husband or civil partner died as a result of their service in Her Majesty’s (HM) Armed Forces or during a time of war.

They must have served before 6 April 2005, but you may be eligible if they died of an illness or injury later.

Eligibility

One of the following must apply. Your husband, wife or civil partner:

died as result of their service in HM Armed Forces before 6 April 2005

was a civil defence volunteer or a civilian and their death was a result of the 1939 to 1945 war

was a merchant seaman, a member of the naval auxiliary services, or a coastguard and their death was a result of an injury or disease they got during a war or because they were a prisoner of war

died as a result of their service as a member of the Polish Forces under British command during the 1939 to 1945 war, or in the Polish Resettlement Forces

was getting a War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance at the time of their death, or would have been had they not been in hospital

was getting a War Disablement Pension at the 80% rate or higher and was getting Unemployability Supplement

You may be entitled to a pension if you lived with a partner as husband and wife or as civil partners.

Illness, injury and death on or after 6 April 2005

If your partner was injured, developed an illness or died as a result of service on or after 6 April 2005, you can claim through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

What you'll get

War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension is paid at different rates depending on your age and circumstances.

You do not pay tax on it.

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, for example your bank account.

How to claim

To claim War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension you can either:

download a claim form

phone the Veterans UK helpline and ask for a claim form

Send the completed form to:

How to appeal

If you disagree with a decision about your claim you can appeal to an independent Pensions Appeal Tribunal.

Before you appeal you should:

ask Veterans UK for more information about how the decision was reached

ask for the decision to be reconsidered if there are some facts Veterans UK may not have known when they made their decision

If you’re still unhappy with the outcome contact Veterans UK to let them know that you want to appeal.

Further information

Changes in your circumstances

You’ll continue to get your pension if you marry, form a civil partnership or start living with a partner on or after 1 April 2015.

If this happened before 1 April 2015, you’ll still get a pension if both:

your late spouse or civil partner left service before 31 March 1973

your new relationship started on or after 6 April 2005

Otherwise, your pension would have been stopped.

If your pension stopped

You can claim your pension again if:

you become widowed again

you divorce or separate

your civil partner dies

your civil partnership ends

you stop living with the person as their partner

Make sure you tell Veterans UK of any changes in your circumstances so you get the right amount of pension.

Funeral expenses

Veterans UK may be able to pay a grant of up to £2,200 towards a veteran’s funeral if any of the following apply:

death was due to service before 6 April 2005

War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance was being paid or would have been paid if the war pensioner had not been in hospital when they died

Unemployability Supplement was being paid at the time of death and the War Disablement Pension was assessed at 80% or more

The payment can be made to the veteran’s widow or widower, next of kin or person paying for the funeral.

You must make a claim within 3 months of the funeral.

How to apply

Download the claim form. Send the completed form to:


Your benefits, tax and pension after the death of a spouse

Tax and National Insurance

Your income will probably change after the death of your husband, wife or civil partner.

If you get extra money from pensions, annuities, benefits or an inheritance, you may need to pay more tax. You may be on a lower income and need to pay less tax.

Your tax allowances - the income you do not pay tax on - may also change.

Income you must report

Tell HMRC if you get:

interest from a bank, building society or a National Savings and Investment product, eg pensioner income, capital bonds

income from letting out property

income from Purchased Life Annuities

Widowed Parent’s Allowance or Bereavement Allowance

Carer’s Allowance

foreign pension payments

other income that should have been taxed but has not been

You do not need to tell HMRC about:

income your employer pays tax on through PAYE

income from a private pension

income which does not get taxed, eg from an Individual Savings Account (ISA)

any income if you’ll reach State Pension age within 4 months

getting Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Bereavement Support Payment

How to tell HMRC

Tell HMRC about a change in your income:

in your next Self Assessment tax return, if you’re registered for Self Assessment

by phone

Tax allowances

If you pay Income Tax, you’ll have a Personal Allowance - income you do not pay tax on. Your allowance may change if your income changes.

HMRC will automatically adjust your Personal Allowance when you tell them about your change of income.

Married Couple’s Allowance

If you or your husband, wife or civil partner were born before 6 April 1935, you may have been claiming Married Couple’s Allowance. You’ll still get the allowance for the current tax year (up to 5 April) but HMRC will automatically stop it after that and you’ll get just your Personal Allowance.

Blind Person’s Allowance

If your husband, wife or civil partner was claiming Blind Person’s Allowance, ask HMRC to transfer what’s left of their Blind Person’s Allowance for the current tax year (up to 5 April) to you.

Reduced rate National Insurance

If you’re a widow and you were married before April 1977, you might be paying a reduced rate of National Insurance (sometimes called the ‘small stamp’).

You may be able to keep paying the reduced rate. Contact HMRC to find out what you should do.

Benefits

You’ll have to make new claims for some benefits that your husband, wife or civil partner was claiming for your family.

You may also be able to claim other benefits to help with your bereavement or if you’re on a lower income because of the death.

Bereavement benefits

You may be able to get:

Funeral Expenses Payment - to help towards the cost of a funeral if you’re on a low income

Bereavement Support Payment - if your husband, wife or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2017

Widowed Parent’s Allowance - if your husband, wife or civil partner died before 6 April 2017 and you have at least one dependent child

Phone the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Bereavement Service to check if:

you can get bereavement benefits

the death will affect any other benefits you’re already claiming

You’ll have to make new claims for Child Benefit and tax credits if your husband, wife or civil partner was claiming them.

Child Benefit

You’ll need to make a new claim for Child Benefit if you were not the person named as the claimant on the original claim form.

Tax credits

You should tell the Tax Credit Office about the death within one month if you have not already heard from them. Phone the Tax Credit Helpline to report the death.

If your income is lower

You may be able to get benefits if you’re on a lower income following the death of your  husband, wife or civil partner. Use a benefits calculator to work out what benefits you can get and find out how to claim.

You may also be able to apply for:

Winter Fuel Payment - if you were born on or before 5 July 1952

Cold Weather Payment - if you’re on a low income

Warm Home Discount Scheme

You may have to pay Income Tax on some benefits you claim.

Pensions

You may be able to get extra pension payments from your husband, wife or civil partner’s pension or National Insurance contributions.

State Pension

You need to be over State Pension age to claim extra payments from your husband, wife or civil partner’s State Pension.

What you get and how you claim will depend on whether you reached State Pension age before or after 6 April 2016.

Contact the Pension Service to check what you can claim.

If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016

You’ll get any State Pension based on your husband, wife or civil partner’s National Insurance contribution when you claim your own pension.

You will not get it if you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age.

If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016

You’ll receive the ‘new State Pension’ and you may be able to inherit an extra payment on top of your pension.

Private pensions

You may get payments from your husband, wife or civil partner’s workplace, personal or stakeholder pension - it will depend on the pension scheme. Contact the pension scheme to find out.

You’ll have to pay tax on those payments if the  pension provider does not pay it for you.

War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension

You may be able to get War Widow’s or Widower Pension - if your husband, wife or civil partner died because of their service in the Armed Forces or because of a war.


Adoption records

Accessing your birth records

You can access your birth records if you don’t have them because you were adopted.

You need to be 18 or over to do this.

Everyone adopted before 12 November 1975 will need to attend a counselling session with an approved adoption advisor first.

You know your birth details

You can order a copy of your original birth certificate from the General Register Office.

For adoptions outside England or Wales you need to contact the General Register Office where you were adopted.

You don’t know your birth details

You need to fill in an application for Birth certificate Information Before Adoption (BIBA) service if you don’t know your birth details. Which application form you fill in depends on if you live:

in the UK

outside the UK

Post or email the form to:

The Adoption Contact Register

You can add yourself to the Adoption Contact Register at the General Register Office to:

find a birth relative or an adopted person

say you don’t want to be contacted

This is not a tracing service - for a connection to be made between people, you must both be on the Adoption Contact Register.

Find birth relatives if you were adopted

You can add yourself to the Adoption Contact Register if you’re 18 or over and your birth or adoption was registered with the General Register Office.

You need to fill in form CR part 1 to add yourself to the register.  Read guidance notes on how to complete the form.

You need:

your original birth name

your date of birth

the full name(s) of your birth mother (and birth father if known)

The fee is £15 - instructions on how to pay are on form CR part 1.

Find someone who was adopted if you’re a birth relative

You can add yourself to the register to try to find an adopted person by filling in form CR part 2.  Read guidance notes on how to complete the form. You’ll only be able to find people who have also added themselves to it.

You need to be 18 or over.

The fee is £30 - instructions on how to pay are on form CR part 2.

You can also use this form if you are an adopted person looking for other adopted siblings.

You can also apply to make contact with an adopted person through an approved intermediary agency.

More information

Contact the Adoptions Section of the HM Passport Office.

Intermediary agencies

You can use an intermediary agency to help you trace a birth relative if you were adopted or you’re related to someone who has been adopted. The fee for the service depends on the agency.

You can use an intermediary agency if:

you were adopted before 30 December 2005

a relative of yours (including a relative by adoption) was adopted before 30 December 2005

When an intermediary agency finds a person, you can only contact them if they agree to it. If they don’t agree, the agency won’t tell you their name or whereabouts but might be able to share some information, like:

their domestic or family circumstances

their general health and well-being

If you don’t want to be contacted

Adopted people and birth relatives can use the Adoption Contact Register to say that they don’t want to be contacted.

Tell your agency and register a veto if you don’t want to be approached by an intermediary agency. There are 2 types of veto called an ‘absolute veto’ and a ‘qualified veto’.

An ‘absolute veto’

This means an intermediary agency can’t approach you under any circumstances (your adoption agency can still pass on information to you, for example about a hereditary medical condition or details of an inheritance).

A ‘qualified veto’

This means you can say when you would be prepared to be contacted, for example you could say that an approach on behalf of your birth parent wouldn’t be acceptable, but an approach by a sibling would.

More help and information

For further information on intermediary services you can contact:

General Register Office

the adoption team at your local council

a voluntary adoption agency

an adoption support agency


Apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate

Overview

Apply to the Gender Recognition Panel for a Gender Recognition Certificate if you want your acquired gender to be legally recognised in the UK.

There are 3 different ways (‘routes’) to get a certificate - which one you use depends on your situation.

Read the full guidance before you apply.

Standard route

Apply by the standard route if all the following are true:

you’re 18 or over

you’ve been diagnosed with gender dysphoria (discomfort with your birth gender) - this is also called gender identity disorder, gender incongruence or transsexualism

you’ve lived in your acquired gender for at least 2 years

you intend to live in your acquired gender for the rest of your life

Alternative route

Apply by the alternative route if all the following are true:

you’re 18 or over

you’ve been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or had surgery to change your sexual characteristics

you live in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland most of the time

you’re in (or have been in) a protected marriage or protected civil partnership before 10 December 2014 (16 December 2014 for Scottish marriages and civil partnerships)

you’ve lived in your acquired gender for at least 6 years before 10 December 2014 (16 December 2014 for Scottish marriages and civil partnerships)

A marriage or civil partnership is protected if it’s one of the following:

registered under the law of England, Wales or Northern Ireland

a marriage solemnised in Scotland

a civil partnership registered in Scotland

a marriage registered under the law of a country or territory outside the UK

a marriage on UK consular premises or in an armed forces base, if you elected England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland as the relevant part of the UK

Overseas route

Apply by the overseas route if your acquired gender has been legally accepted in an ‘approved country or territory’ and you have documents to prove it.

You must be 18 or over.

Help you can get

You can get information, advice and support from a number of voluntary organisations - you can find a list on page 21 of the full guidance.

You can also contact Citizens Advice or find a legal adviser.

If you're married or in a civil partnership

If you’re married

You can stay married if you apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate.

You and your spouse must fill in a statutory declaration saying you both agree to stay married.

You’ll get an ‘interim certificate’ if you or your spouse do not want to remain married, or if your spouse does not fill in a statutory declaration. You can use the interim certificate as grounds to end the marriage.

If your marriage is registered in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and you have an interim certificate, you’ll only get a full certificate once you end your marriage.

If your marriage was registered in Scotland, you can use an interim certificate to apply to the sheriff court for a full certificate. You do not need to end your marriage first.

Contact the administrative team at the Gender Recognition Panel if either you or your spouse change your mind about staying married during the application process.

If you’re in a civil partnership

You can stay in your civil partnership if it was registered in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Your partner must fill in a statutory declaration saying they agree to stay in a civil partnership with you. Contact the Gender Recognition Panel for help with filling in the declaration.

You’ll get an ‘interim certificate’ if your partner does not fill in a statutory declaration.

Civil partnerships registered in Scotland

If your civil partnership was registered in Scotland, you must end it or convert your civil partnership to marriage.

If you decide to convert your civil partnership into a marriage you must do it before you apply to the Gender Recognition Panel.

If you’re still in a civil partnership when you apply to the Gender Recognition Panel, you’ll get an ‘interim certificate’. You must end the civil partnership before you can get a full certificate.

How to apply

Download and fill in the right form for your application.

| Form | Guidance

Standard route | Form T450 | Leaflet T451

Alternative route | Form T464 | Leaflet T465

Overseas route | Form T453 | Leaflet T454

Send the completed form with your fee and any supporting documents relevant to your application.

Fees

It costs £5 to apply. You can apply for help paying the fee if you’re getting certain benefits or on a low income.

Get help with your application

Contact the administrative team at the Gender Recognition Panel for advice on the application process.

Documents you must provide

You must send certain documents when you apply, depending on which application route you use and whether you’ve ever been married or in a civil partnership.

You might need to send original documents - you’ll get them back after the Gender Recognition Panel has looked at your application. You will not get any statutory declarations back.

For all application routes, you must download and fill in the relevant statutory declaration for:

single people

married people or civil partners

If you’ve ever been married or in a civil partnership

For all application routes you must provide the following (if relevant):

an original or certified copy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate

a copy of the decree ending your marriage or proof that any previous civil partnership has been dissolved

a copy of your spouse’s death certificate

If you want to stay married, your spouse must fill in a statutory declaration for a spouse.

Standard or alternative route

For all application routes you must send:

an original or certified copy of your birth certificate

copies of any official documents that show your birth name has changed to your current name

proof you’ve lived in your acquired gender for the required time

any required medical reports

You need to have lived in your acquired gender for 2 years if applying through the standard route.

If you’re applying through the alternative route you need to have lived in your acquired gender for 6 years before 10 December 2014, or 16 December 2014 if you’re in Scotland.

Proof you’ve lived in your acquired gender

This proof must cover the required time that you’ve lived in your acquired gender. It could include copies of your:

passport

driving licence

payslips or benefit documents

utility bills or other documents of an official nature

All documents should be in your acquired name and gender. The earliest document must be dated before the beginning of the required time.

Medical reports

For the standard and alternative application routes you must send a report that includes details of any treatment you’ve had to change your sexual characteristics, for example hormone treatment or surgery.

The report must be an original copy from a qualified medical professional, for example a:

doctor registered with the General Medical Council (GMC)

psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council

You can ask your GP or surgeon to fill in a report for you if you do not have one already.

If you have not had any treatment or surgery yet, you must send a report that includes details of any planned treatment or surgery.

If you are applying by the standard route you must also send a report with details of your gender dysphoria diagnosis.

Read the list of gender dysphoria specialists to find out who can write this report for you. You can send a report from a registered medical professional not on this list if they can prove they work in gender dysphoria.

Overseas route

If you’re applying using the overseas route, you must prove that your gender has been legally recognised in an ‘approved country or territory’. Send original or certified copies of the following (if you have them):

your new birth certificate and old birth certificate

an amended birth certificate that shows the change of gender

a court order authorising your change of gender

a document that’s equivalent to a Gender Recognition Certificate

an entry in a legal register that proves your acquired gender has been recognised

What happens next

Your application will be assessed by the Gender Recognition Panel - you’ll be contacted if they need more proof or information.

Contact the administrative team at the Gender Recognition Panel to find out about your application’s progress.

If you get a full certificate

You’ll be sent information on:

how to get a new birth certificate, marriage certificate or civil partnership where appropriate

who you must tell about your gender change

Your pension and benefits may be affected.

If you’re given an interim certificate

You’ll be sent information on:

how to annul or dissolve your marriage or civil partnership

how long you have to convert your civil partnership to a marriage, if applicable

If your application is turned down

You’ll be told why your application was rejected.

You may be able to appeal the decision if you think it’s wrong on a point of law.

Where you appeal depends on whether you live in:

England and Wales - appeal to the High Court Family Division

Scotland - appeal to the Court of Session in Edinburgh

Northern Ireland - appeal to the High Court

You’ll be told in your decision letter how to appeal or apply again.

Legislation

The Gender Recognition Panel must apply the law in the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and the following amendments:

Schedule 5, Section 12 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013

Part 4 of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014


Change your name by deed poll

Overview

You do not have to follow a legal process to start using a new name. But you might need a ‘deed poll’ to apply for or to change official documents like your passport or driving licence.

There are different rules for changing your name in Scotland.

Get a deed poll

A deed poll is a legal document that proves a change of name. You can change any part of your name, add or remove names and hyphens, or change spelling.

There are 2 ways to get a deed poll. You can either:

make an ‘unenrolled’ deed poll yourself

apply for an ‘enrolled’ deed poll

Ask the organisation you’re dealing with (for example your bank) which type of deed poll they’ll accept as proof of your new name.

If you’re a permanent resident overseas, you cannot change your name by deed poll.

Make an ‘unenrolled’ deed poll

You can change your name yourself if you’re 16 or over.

Apply for an ‘enrolled’ deed poll

‘Enrolling’ a deed poll means that you’re putting your new name on public record.

You must apply to the Royal Courts of Justice to get an ‘enrolled’ deed poll using the deed poll process. It costs £42.44.

You can only enrol your own name change if you’re 18 or over. The process is different to change the name of a child under 18.

Marriage and civil partnership

You do not need a deed poll to take your spouse’s or civil partner’s surname. Send a copy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate to record-holders, such as benefits offices. Your documents will be updated for free.

If you divorce or end your civil partnership

You may be able to go back to your original name by showing record-holders either your:

marriage certificate and decree absolute

civil partnership certificate and final order

Some organisations will not change your name back without a deed poll.

Make your own deed poll

You need to be 16 or over to make your own deed poll.

Some organisations may not accept a deed poll you’ve made yourself as proof of your new name. Ask the organisation you’re dealing with (for example your bank) if they need an ‘enrolled’ deed poll instead.

How to make your own deed poll

Use the following wording:

“I [old name] of [your address] have given up my name [old name] and have adopted for all purposes the name [new name].

“Signed as a deed on [date] as [old name] and [new name] in the presence of [witness 1 name] of [witness 1 address], and [witness 2 name] of [witness 2 address].

“[your new signature], [your old signature]

“[witness 1 signature], [witness 2 signature]”

A specialist agency or a solicitor can make the deed poll for you instead - they may charge a fee.

After you’ve made it, you can use your deed poll as proof of your new name.

Enrol a deed poll with the courts

You can put your new name on public record by ‘enrolling’ it at the Royal Courts of Justice if you’re 18 or over. It costs £42.44 and cheques should be made payable to HMCTS.

If you’re under 18, follow the process for changing a child’s name to enrol.

Download the guidance and forms for changing an adult’s name - this includes the notification form for The Gazette.

Send your forms and documents to the Queen’s Bench Division.

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), applications are taking longer than usual to process.

Change a child’s name

To change the name of a child under 18 you can either:

make an unenrolled deed poll by using a specialist deed poll agency or a solicitor

apply for an enrolled deed poll from the Royal Courts of Justice

If you choose an enrolled deed poll, this means your child’s new name will usually appear on public record in The Gazette.

Some organisations will only accept an enrolled deed poll as proof of a name change. For example, to change your child’s name on their passport you will need an enrolled deed poll.

If you’re 16 or 17 you can choose to make your own unenrolled deed poll.

Apply for an enrolled deed poll

You’ll need either:

the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility

a court order

You must try to reach agreement before you seek a court order.

If everyone with parental responsibility agrees

Download and complete the forms for changing a child’s name - this includes the notification form for The Gazette.

It costs £42.44 to apply.

If you’re worried about your child’s name change being published in The Gazette, contact the Queen’s Bench Division. For example, they may agree to only publish your child’s first name.

If you need a court order

Read the guidance on making an application to the court.

Fill in form C100 for a ‘specific issue order’.

Send your form to your nearest court that deals with child cases.

It costs £215 to apply for a court order. You may be able to get help with court fees if you’re on benefits or a low income.


Correct a birth registration

What corrections can be made

You can apply for a birth registration correction when the information is wrong - for example if a mistake was made when recording a parent’s occupation.

You cannot apply for a correction to show new information if circumstances change after you’ve registered your child’s birth, for example if you change your name after getting married again.

However, you can apply to re-register the birth if the natural parents get married at a later date.

Removing the wrong father’s details

You can apply to change who the recorded father is if you can prove that the man named on the certificate is not the natural father of the child. Examples of proof include:

a DNA test record from an approved tester

a court order

evidence that confirms the name of the true biological father

other evidence that confirms the recorded father could not have been the child’s natural father

What happens if you change gender

If you get your gender change legally recognised, you’ll be able to order a new birth certificate with your new gender on it.

What the correction looks like

If your application is approved, a correction is made in the register in the office for the area where your child was born.

The original information will always be shown in the register. After the correction has been authorised, a note will be added to the margin of the register. This will explain what the correct information is and when the correction was made.

All full birth certificates that are issued after the correction will include the note in the margin.

Short birth certificates only include the child’s details and will not have a note in the margin - they just show any correct new details.

Who can apply

The following people can apply for a correction:

the mother

the father (if his details are on the certificate)

If you’re applying to change a child’s name and both parents are named on the certificate, both must sign the application form.

The child named on the certificate may be able to apply for a correction if their parents are not available.

Removing the wrong father’s details

It is not always necessary for the named father to take part in the correction process. The General Register Office (GRO) can correct the entry if 2 of the following people apply to have it changed:

the mother

the natural father

the man named on the birth certificate as the father

At least one of these must sign the application form.

You need to provide contact addresses for the mother, the man named as the father on the certificate and the true biological father (if he took part in a DNA test).

How to apply

It costs £75 or £90 to apply to correct a mistake in a birth registration.

Contact the register office where your child’s birth was registered to find out how to send your application, the cost and how to pay.

Fill in the relevant application form and send it to the register office:

correct details on a birth registration

remove incorrect father’s details from a birth registration

There’s a different process for correcting registrations made in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Proving the registration is wrong

You’ll need to show that the information given at the time of the registration was wrong. You must send in documents with your application that show what the correct information should have been. These documents should be valid or dated around the time your child was born.

Documents you can send in include a:

passport

photocard driving licence

bank, building society or credit card statement

letter from a hospital or doctor

letter from a government department

If you are not able to send in proof, corrections cannot usually be made.

All certified copies sent with the application will be destroyed if you do not ask for them to be returned.

Proof the wrong father is on the certificate

You’ll need to prove that the man named on the certificate is not the natural father of the child. Examples of proof include:

a court order

Sending in certified documents

You should only send in documents that have been certified as true copies of the original.

Witnessing the correction

If the correction is being made at your register office, you need to arrange an appointment with them. When you go in you’ll witness the correction and sign the note made in the birth register.

If you’re applying to the General Register Office (GRO) to make the correction, you can say on the application form if you want to witness the correction.

Statutory declaration

If you’re applying to correct a serious mistake (such as the name of a person), the GRO may ask you to make a ‘statutory declaration’ about the correction and send it to them. This means you have to make a legal statement in front of someone like a judge or solicitor that they must sign (sometimes called ‘attesting an oath’).

If you make a statutory declaration, you will not have to witness the correction.

You may have to pay a fee for a statutory declaration.

How long applications take

There is no set time for how long applications will take. It can take up to 25 days for you to get a reply.

Advice

If you want further advice on applying to make a correction, contact the register office or the General Register Office (GRO).


Correct a death registration

What corrections can be made

You cannot change a death certificate once it’s been issued, but you can apply to get a note added to the original entry in the death register.

You can then get an updated certificate issued that shows this note.

Corrections to a death registration can only be made when the information is wrong (for example a mistake in spelling a person’s name).

What the correction looks like

The original information will always be shown in the death register. After the correction has been authorised, a note will be added to the margin of the register. This will explain what the correct information is and when the correction was made.

If you apply for a new death certificate, the note containing the correct information will be in the margin.

Who can apply

Anyone can apply to correct a death entry.

However, the General Register Office (GRO) will usually need a letter from the person who gave information for the death to be registered before considering a correction.

How to apply

It costs £75 or £90 to apply to correct a mistake in a death registration.

Contact the register office where the death was registered to find out how to send your application, the cost, and how to pay.

Fill in the application form to correct details on a death registration and send it to the register office.

Proving the registration is wrong

You’ll need to show that the information given at the time of the registration was wrong. You must send in documents with your application that show what the correct information should have been. These documents should be valid or dated around the time of the death.

Documents you can send in include a:

passport

photocard driving licence

bank, building society or credit card statement

letter from a hospital or doctor

letter from a government department

utility bill

If you cannot send in proof, corrections cannot usually be made.

All certified copies sent with the application will be destroyed if you do not ask for them to be returned.

Sending in certified documents

You should only send in documents that have been certified as true copies of the original.

Witnessing the correction

If the correction is being made at your register office, you need to arrange an appointment with them. When you go in you’ll witness the correction and sign the note made in the death register.

If you’re applying to the GRO to make the correction, you can say on the application form if you want to witness the correction.

Statutory declaration

If you’re applying to correct a serious mistake (for example in the name of a person), the GRO may ask you to make a ‘statutory declaration’. GRO will give you more advice about this if it is necessary.

You may have to pay a fee for a statutory declaration.

How long applications take

There is not a set time for how long applications will take. It can take up to 25 days for you to get a reply.

Advice

If you want further advice on applying to make a correction, contact the register office or the General Register Office (GRO).


Get a copy of military service records

Overview

You can apply for either:

your own service records if you are, or have been, a member of the armed forces

the records of someone who’s deceased if you’re eligible, for example you’re their immediate next of kin or you’re researching them

How long it takes

It can take several months for your application to be processed.

Your application will be prioritised if it’s urgent.

Other ways to find service records

You can also search:

the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website

the Armed Forces Memorial roll of honour

the National Archives for service records from 1913 to 1920 or service records before 1913

Apply for your own records

You can apply for your own records if you are, or have been, a member of the armed forces, for example the Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), British Army or Royal Air Force.

Download and fill in a request for your own records (PDF, 64KB). Send it to the address on the form, along with any supporting documents. There’s no fee.

Use this form if you’re acting on behalf of the person, for example if you have lasting power of attorney.

Apply for the records of someone who's deceased

You can apply for a copy of someone else’s service records if any of the following apply:

you’re their immediate next of kin, for example their spouse or parent

you’ve got consent from their immediate next of kin

you have a general research interest - you’ll only have access to limited information, unless they died more than 25 years ago

You need to know the person’s full name, date of birth and service number.

Fill in 2 forms - a request form and a search form.

Fill in a request form

Download and fill in a request form for either:

next of kin’s records (PDF, 53KB) - use this form if you’re next of kin or have next of kin’s consent

not next of kin’s records (PDF, 46KB) - use this form if you’re not next of kin and don’t have next of kin’s consent

Fill in a search form

Download and fill in the relevant search form, depending on whether the person was in the:

Royal Navy or Royal Marines (PDF, 20KB)

British Army (PDF, 20KB)

Royal Air Force (PDF, 20KB)

Post your forms

Send both forms, with the fee of £30 for each separate record, and any supporting documents (for example a death certificate) to the address on the search form.

There’s no fee if you were the person’s spouse or civil partner at the time of their death (or their parent, if there was no spouse).

You can pay by cheque or postal order - or by banker’s draft or international money order if you’re overseas.

Follow the instructions for applying for your own records if you’re acting on behalf of the person, for example you have lasting power of attorney.

What information you’ll get

Records date from 1920 and may include:

surname, first name, service number, rank and regiment or corps

place and date of birth

date they joined and left the armed forces

date of death, if they died in service

good conduct medals

details about their career, for example the units they served in - you can only get these 25 years after the date they died, unless you have consent from their next of kin

In some cases little or no information is available about someone’s military service.

Your request might be refused if it could harm the security or operations of the armed forces.

If you want to complain

Write to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Information Rights team if you want to complain about how your request was handled.

You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you’re not happy with how the MOD handled your complaint.


Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales

Check if you can get married or form a civil partnership

You can get married or form a civil partnership in England or Wales if you’re:

16 or over

not already married or in a civil partnership

not closely related

Same sex couples can convert a civil partnership into a marriage in England or Wales.

There are different rules if you want to get married or form a civil partnership:

in Scotland

in Northern Ireland

abroad

If you’re under 18

You need permission from your parents or guardians to get married or form a civil partnership in England or Wales.

If you or your partner are from outside the UK

If you’re an EU citizen and you were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living here after 30 June 2021. The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.

You must apply for a visa to get married or form a civil partnership in the UK if you:

are not a British or Irish citizen

do not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK

If you’re from the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you will not need a visa if you’re coming to the UK on or before 30 June 2021. From 1 July 2021, you will need a visa, unless you:

have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

applied to the EU Settlement Scheme before 30 June 2021, and are waiting for a decision

The visa or permit you need depends on where your partner is from and whether you want to live in the UK after your ceremony.

You can apply for:

a marriage visitor visa - if you’re not going to live in the UK and will stay less than 6 months

a family visa - to live permanently in the UK if your partner is a British citizen, settled in the UK, has refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

a family permit - to join your family member from the EU, EEA or Switzerland in the UK

If you do not have a marriage visitor visa or family visa

You can still give notice of your intention to get married or form a civil partnership but the immigration authorities at the Home Office will be told.

The Home Office might:

ask questions about you and your relationship - if this happens you may need to wait up to 70 days before getting married or forming a civil partnership

decide not to approve your notice - if this happens you cannot get married or form a civil partnership in the UK

Plan your ceremony

You must decide where to have your marriage or civil partnership ceremony before ‘giving notice’.

To give notice, you’ll sign a legal statement at your local register office saying you intend to get married or form a civil partnership. This must include details of the final venue for your ceremony.

You must hold your ceremony within 12 months of ‘giving notice’.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and planning a ceremony

Social distancing and public health restrictions are in place for ceremonies because of coronavirus. Contact your local register office or venue for the ceremony to find out how these will affect you.

Choose the type of ceremony

You can choose to have either a religious ceremony or a civil ceremony if you’re getting married.

If you’re forming a civil partnership you cannot have a religious ceremony.

Religious ceremonies

A religious wedding can take place at any registered religious building.

Same-sex couples can get married in a religious building if it has been registered for the marriage of same-sex couples. You cannot get married in an Anglican church as a same-sex couple.

An authorised person, such as a religious minister, must attend the ceremony and sign the ‘marriage schedule’ or ‘marriage document’.

Check with the venue if there is an authorised person. If not, you’ll need to book a registrar. This costs £86.

Civil ceremonies

You can have a civil ceremony at:

a register office

any venue approved by the local council, for example a stately home or hotel

You must have at least 2 witnesses at the ceremony.

A registrar must carry out, or be present at, your ceremony. You can book a registrar yourself or the venue may do this for you.

The cost of a registrar is:

£46 at a register office

£86 at a registered religious building

Costs may be different at other approved premises.

What can happen at the ceremony

You must exchange vows if you’re getting married. Discuss any other wording you want with the person carrying out the ceremony.

You do not need to exchange vows for a civil partnership, but you can if you’d like to.

Civil ceremonies can include readings, songs or music, but must not include anything that’s religious (for example hymns or readings from the Bible or the Torah). You can get a religious blessing of your marriage after a civil ceremony.

If you’re getting married, you and your partner sign the marriage schedule or marriage document at the ceremony. You can each include up to 4 parents on the form (for example mothers, fathers or step-parents).

After a marriage ceremony

Your signed marriage schedule or document is sent to your local register office where it’s added to the marriage register. After that, you can get your marriage certificate.

Contact your local register office to find out how to get your marriage certificate and how long it will take.

Give notice

You must sign a legal statement at your local register office to say you intend to get married or form a civil partnership. This is known as ‘giving notice’.

You must give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony.

For example, if you give notice on 1 May, the earliest date you can get married or form a civil partnership is 30 May.

The process of giving notice might be different for Anglican weddings - check with the wedding venue.

Where to give notice

You usually need to make an appointment to give notice at your local register office. You must have lived in that registration district for the past 7 days.

You and your partner will need to give notice separately if you live in different registration districts. You do not have to do this on the same day.

If one of you is from outside the UK and you’re giving notice by 30 June 2021

You and your partner need to give notice together at a designated register office unless you both have one of the following:

British or Irish citizenship

EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss citizenship

You can give your notice at a designated register office in any district.

If one of you is from outside the UK and you’re giving notice from 1 July 2021

You and your partner must give notice together, unless you both have one of the following:

British or Irish citizenship

an application to the EU Settlement Scheme that you made before 30 June 2021, which you’re waiting for a decision on

You must give your notice together at a register office in the district where at least one of you lives.

If your partner had already given notice separately before 1 July 2021, they will need to give notice again with you.

Documents you'll need to give notice

You must bring originals of the following documents to your appointment:

details of the final venue for your ceremony

a valid passport or UK birth certificate (if you were born before 1 January 1983)

proof of your home address

proof of any name changes (for example, a copy of a deed poll)

Until 30 June 2021, you can use a national identity card from the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland instead of a valid passport.

To prove your address, bring one of the following:

valid UK or Irish driving licence

gas, water or electricity bill from the last 3 months

bank or building society statement from the last month

Council Tax bill from the last 12 months

mortgage statement from the last 12 months

current tenancy agreement

letter from your landlord (dated within the last 7 days) confirming you live there and including your landlord’s name, address and their signature

Until 30 June 2021, you can also use a driving licence from the EU, EEA or Switzerland as proof of UK address.

If your normal address is outside the UK, you’ll need to give details of a UK contact address. For example, this could be your partner, friend or family member’s address.

If you’ve been married or in a civil partnership before

You’ll also need to bring one of the following documents:

a decree absolute or final order

your former partner’s death certificate

You need to bring proof of your divorce, annulment or dissolution if it was granted outside of the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. You’ll have to pay a fee of £50 for the local register office to check your documents or £75 if the General Register Office needs to check them.

If you or your partner are from outside the UK

You’ll also need to bring:

• a passport sized photo for each of you (even if only one of you from outside the UK)
• proof of your current immigration status (for example, your visa)
• a translation of any documents that are not in English

If you’re from the EU, EEA or Switzerland

You will only need to bring the passport photos, proof of your immigration status and translated documents if you’re giving notice on or after 1 July 2021.

If you’re giving notice from 1 July 2021, you’ll also need to bring confirmation of either:

your settled or pre-settled status - you’ll need to bring a ‘share code’ which you can get from the ‘view and prove your immigration status’ service, which will be valid for 30 days

an application to the EU settlement scheme you made on or before 30 June 2021, which you’re waiting for a decision on - you’ll need to bring your certificate of application