Once you have filled in your form, you will need to send it back to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Get ready to send your form
Before you send your form, check that you have answered all of the questions.
You can read the form yourself or you can ask someone else to check it. It can be someone you know or you can find a benefits adviser near you using our Find an Adviser tool.
Remember to put all the other papers that you want to include together with your form. See the Get documents section of this guide for which papers you might want to put in with your form. Put your national insurance number on any paper that is not the form. This makes it easier for the DWP to keep it together with your claim.
It is a good idea to make a photocopy of your completed form. You should keep this somewhere safe.
The DWP gives you one month to fill in the form and send it back. Ask the DWP for more time if you need it. You will need to phone them and tell them why you need more time.
If you have filled in your form but you are still waiting for other papers, you should still send in your form before the deadline. You can send in your form and then send your other papers later. Remember to put your national insurance number on them so they will be put with your claim.
Send your form
Your form came with an addressed envelope. Use the envelope or the address on it to send your form to the DWP with any documents you have. The address you need to use is also on the back of the form.
If you can, send your form and documents recorded delivery. If you can’t send it recorded delivery, make a note of the date you post it so you can follow it up later if you need to.
Sending your form in late
If you don’t send the form back in time, the DWP will refuse your claim unless you have a good reason for sending it in late. If your form is late, the DWP will tell you it is late and ask you to give a reason. If the DWP thinks you have a good reason, they will accept your claim.
If you don’t give a reason or the DWP don’t think that you have a good reason, they will refuse your claim. If the DWP refuses your claim, you can start again with a new claim. You will need to fill in another form but you can use your previous form as a guide.
Updated April 2019