Before you start an online form: what to have ready

1 Read the first page before you start

Most official forms start with a page that says what you'll need and roughly how long it takes. Read it all before pressing Start, and look for:

• What documents or numbers they ask for.
• Whether you can save and come back later. Look for words like "Save and return", "Save as draft" or "Save and come back later". If there's no such option, plan to finish in one go.
• Who can apply, so you know it's the right form.

2 Gather the numbers you'll be asked for

Not every form asks for all of these, but these are the usual ones, and where to find them:

National Insurance number

Two letters, six numbers and a letter, like QQ 12 34 56 C. It's on payslips, a P60, and letters from HMRC or the DWP.

Council tax account number

At the top of your council tax bill.

A reference number

If you're replying to a letter, it's usually near the top, marked "Our ref" or "Reference".

Dates

For example when you moved in, started a job or had a change in your circumstances. A rough date is often fine. Note them down first.

Previous addresses

Some forms ask where you've lived for the last 3 years, with dates.

Bank details

Only if they're paying money to you: the sort code and account number from your card or bank statement. A genuine form never asks for your card PIN or online banking password.

3 Get your documents ready as files

If the form asks you to upload documents, have them saved as files on your phone or computer before you start. Finding, photographing and resizing them in the middle of a form is where most people run out of time.

• Proof of address often has to be recent, such as a bill or bank statement "dated within the last 3 months". Check the date.
• Check which file types they accept (usually PDF or JPG) and any size limit ("maximum 5 MB").

4 If they want a photo of you

• Stand in front of a plain, light wall, facing the camera, with even light and no shadows on your face.
• Ask someone else to take it, holding the phone at your eye level.
• Check what they ask for (for example "head and shoulders", "no glasses" or "plain expression") and follow it, because each organisation has its own rules.

Photo too big to upload? Make a photo small enough to send. It's free, and your photo never leaves your device.

5 Give yourself time

• Many official forms sign you out if you don't do anything for a while, to keep your details safe. Government forms should warn you at least 2 minutes before, with a button to carry on. Having everything ready means you won't be caught out.
• For long answers (such as "tell us how your condition affects you"), write them out first in an email to yourself or a note on your phone, then copy and paste them in.
• Use the form's own Back link rather than your browser's back arrow, which on some forms can lose what you've typed.
• If the form gives you a save and return code or password, write it down straight away.

6 Keep your email and phone nearby

Many forms send a security code by text or email to check it's really you. You'll need to type it in within a few minutes, so have your phone and email open. If you use a family member's email, make sure they're around to read the code to you.

7 At the end: keep the proof

• Look for a confirmation page or email with a reference number. Write it down, or take a photo of the screen.
• Write down the date you sent it. If you need to chase it later, the reference number and date are what they'll ask for.

Rather not do it online?

• Many organisations will send a paper form, take details over the phone, or help you in person if you ask. Phone the number on their letter or official website and ask what other ways there are.
• If you have a disability or health condition that makes online forms hard, you can ask for another way as a reasonable adjustment. Organisations have to consider this under the Equality Act 2010.
• Someone you trust can sit with you and help. Many libraries also offer free help with online forms. It's worth phoning first to check when.

Stay safe

• Start from the official website: type the address yourself, or begin at gov.uk or your council's own site.
• Some unofficial websites charge a fee for forms that are free on the official site. If you're asked to pay for something you expected to be free, stop and check.
• Never share security codes with anyone who phones or texts you about them. The code is only for you to type into the form.

Before-you-start checklist

Tick things off as you find them.

🖨 Print just the checklist

• I've read the form's first page, and I know whether I can save and come back.
• National Insurance number (or other numbers the form asks for).
• Reference number from the letter, if I'm replying to one.
• Dates and previous addresses written down.
• Documents saved as files: PDF or JPG, recent enough, under the size limit.
• Photo of me, if they want one.
• Long answers written out first.
• Phone and email nearby for security codes.
• Somewhere to write the reference number at the end: ____________________

What the words mean

Upload

Sending a file from your phone or computer to a website.

Session timeout

When a website signs you out because you haven't done anything for a while. It's there to protect your details if you walk away.

Security code (or verification code)

A short number sent to your phone or email, to check it's really you.

Save and return

An option that lets you stop partway through and finish the form later.

Reasonable adjustment

A change an organisation makes so a disabled person isn't put at a disadvantage, such as offering a paper form or a phone call instead.

Stuck?

That's completely normal. Forms aren't always clear, and nobody gets them right first time. A family member or friend can often help, and many libraries offer free help with computers.

Updated October 2026. Sources include the DWP's design rules for session timeouts and Bridgend Council's bus pass page (the example in step 3).