Starting a homeless application

It’s usually worth applying to your local council for help if you're homeless - or if you’ll be homeless soon. This is known as making a homeless application.

Before you start your application, check if you can get homeless help from the council.

If you’re not a British citizen, it’s important to check this first. If you apply when you’re not allowed to, the Home Office might refuse any immigration applications you make in the future. In rare cases, they might take you to court or end your visa early.

If you’re aged 16 or 17

It’s usually worth applying to social services for homeless help. Social services are more likely to help you, and they’ll usually give you more help.

If you apply to your local council, they’ll ask if you’re happy for them to do a ‘joint assessment’. This means social services will also look at your application, and they will usually end up helping you.

If you’ve recently been living in care, you usually have to apply to social services rather than your local council.

Check how to get homeless help from social services.

When you apply, the council will look into your situation to decide what help they might be able to give you. There isn't a set time to get a decision, but there shouldn't be an unreasonably long delay.

If you’re already homeless, the council might give you emergency housing straight away while they look at your application - you should always ask for this.

If the council won’t let you make a homeless application or they refuse to give you emergency housing, talk to an adviser.

If you need to leave home because of violence, threats or abuse

You can apply for homeless help. You can also get help from:

• Refuge or Women's Aid on 0808 2000 247 at any time

• Men's Advice Line on 0808 801 0327 Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm

Calls to these numbers are free.

Applying to the council

You can check how to apply for homeless help on your local council’s website. You can usually find the link to the council’s homelessness page on the Welsh government website. You can also use Google to search for the name of the council followed by ‘homeless’ - for example ‘Newport homeless’.

It’s best to go in person or phone your local council’s housing department as soon as possible, because it can take a long time to be dealt with. Tell them you want to make a homeless application.

The housing department wilI arrange for a housing officer to interview you - this will usually be on the same day if you have nowhere to stay that night.

If the council office is closed, check their website - there should be an emergency number you can call.

If you can’t apply for help yourself, someone else can apply for you. For example, if you're ill you could give consent for a family member or support worker to apply on your behalf.

Preparing to speak to the council

When you speak to the council, you'll need to explain why you're homeless or about to become homeless.

It's worth writing down what you plan to say first. If you’ll struggle to write it down, ask someone to help you.

It’s worth writing down:

• why you’re homeless or why you can’t stay where you’re living - for example why you can’t afford to stay

• why you’re in ‘priority need’

You can check the rules about how the council will decide if they have to help you.

Getting evidence to give to the council

You should try to take the following when you talk to the council:

• proof of your identity, for example your passport or birth certificate

• your rental agreement, if you have one

• evidence of why you have to leave your home, for example an eviction notice - or a letter from a friend or family member saying you can't continue to stay with them

• medical information, if you have health problems  

You can still apply for help if you don’t have these documents - you’II usually need to give other documents. Ask the council what documents you can give instead.

If your friend or family member has written a letter, the council might contact them and try to make them feel guilty so they agree to let you stay. It’s worth warning your friend or family member that this might happen and that they can say no.

If you've applied for help before

You can apply again if you have something new to include in your application. You'll have something new if either:

• your situation has changed since you last applied - for example, if you’ve had a child

• you got new evidence since you last applied - for example, a medical report from your doctor

The council should accept your application if you include something new. Talk to an adviser if the council refuses to accept your application.

Speaking to the housing officer

Tell the housing officer why you’re being made homeless. For example, tell them if your landlord has given you notice to leave.

Try and give as much detail as possible about your situation. They want to find out more about your situation so they can decide if the council has to help you. 

They should explain the application process including how the the council will decide if they can help and what help they can give you.

The housing officer will also want to know:

• if you live permanently in the UK

• who the members of your household are - for example, your children

• if you or anyone in your household has any support needs - for example, if you’re disabled or have a long-term illness

Your household includes family members who normally live with you. It also includes people who don’t live with you now but could reasonably be expected to live with you in the future. For example, if your children don’t live with you because they’re subject to interim care orders.

If you’re given a personal housing plan

When you apply, the council might give you a ‘personal housing plan’. This says what they’ll do and what you need to do. For example, you might have to agree to get debt advice if you have rent arrears.

It’s important to follow your housing plan. If you don’t follow it, the council might not give you any more help.

Check what happens next

The council will decide what help they’ll give you. They should give you ‘decision letters’ explaining their decisions.

If you aren’t homeless yet, the council will send you the decision letter in the post. The letter will say if they’ll try to stop you becoming homeless.

If you’re already homeless, the council should give you the decision letter when you apply. The letter will say if they’ll find you somewhere to stay short term - this is sometimes called ‘emergency accommodation’.

The council will then work out if they have to find you somewhere to live long term and send you another decision letter. Check what happens if the council give you housing because you’re homeless.

If the council refuse to house you

If you disagree with the council’s decision, you can check how to challenge a homeless application decision.

If you don’t think you’ll be able to challenge the decision, check what you can do if you're homeless and the council won’t house you.