Housing Register Time Credits and Priority
What are time credits?
Time credits may be awarded to applicants with an established need to move.
Time credits give you additional time on the Housing Register and put you in better position when bidding for properties through Home Choice.
Am I eligible for time credits?
You will need to demonstrate an established need to move by answering questions about your housing need and providing evidence that your current accommodation is detrimental to your household for one the following reasons:
- A medical problem or disability is being made worse
- Your household's welfare is at risk
- Your household is homeless or owed a duty by a Housing Authority under the Homelessness Act 2002
- You are occupying accommodation which is insanitary, overcrowded or in a state of disrepair
- You need to move to a particular locality to avoid hardship
How do I apply for time credits?
Your Housing Register Application form asks you questions about your housing need. If you already have a Housing Register or Transfer Application you will need to complete the 'Your Housing Need' form on the right hand side of this page to amend and update your application.
If your responses show that you have a need to move because your current housing situation is detrimental to your household on one of the previously stated grounds, you will need to provide written evidence from a relevant professional to support your need. An assessment of your needs cannot be completed without supporting evidence.
How can I address my housing need?
A Housing Advisor will be able to talk to you about your specific situation. However, the following advice may be useful in resolving the problems you are experiencing and will assist you in getting your needs recognised.
I need to move because a medical problem or disability is being made worse
We suggest that you contact Adult Social Services or Children and Young People's Social Care and ask for an Occupational Therapists assessment. An Occupational Therapist will look at what is causing you difficulty and may be able to provide assistance to improve your problems. They will also be able to provide a report which will support your housing need when applying for time credits.
Other professionals working with you to address your medical problem or disability, such as your doctor, consultant, community nurse or social worker may also be able to support your need for alternative accommodation.
If you are applying for time credits on this basis a Housing Needs Assessment Officer will decide whether you have an established medical need and therefore eligible for an additional 2 years on the Housing Register.
I need to move because my welfare is at risk
If you are a victim of anti-social behaviour, harassment or abuse you should contact the relevant professionals for advice and support. These may include your Housing Officer or Landlord, the Police the Community Safety Team or the Domestic Violence Project. These organisations can also recommend that a move would increase your safety.
If your accommodation is affecting your households ability to function effectively in employment, education or training your employer, tutor or teacher may be able to suggest ways to make it easier for you to work. They can also write to us in support of your need.
If you are applying for time credits on this basis a Housing Needs Assessment Officer will decide whether you have an established welfare need and therefore eligible for an additional 2 years on the Housing Register.
I am homeless or owed a duty by a Housing Authority under the Homelessness Act 2002
If you do not have accommodation which is available for your occupation or it is not reasonable for you to occupy you will need to speak to a Housing Advisor regarding your options. If you do not have a settled home and have been found intentionally homeless or not in priority need by any authority you may qualify for time credits. Alternatively, if you have been accommodated temporarily by any other authority under the terms of the Act you should again contact a Housing Advisor.
The Advisor will investigate your circumstances in order to address your needs appropriately, will recommend alternative housing options and make a decision on your eligibility for an award of time credits. You may be advised to seek privately rented accommodation - if you are successful in doing so, you may also be awarded additional time on the register.
If you have a need to move because you fall into any of the above groups of people you may be entitled 1 year in time credits.
I am overcrowded, my home is in a state of disrepair or I am living in insanitary conditions
You should always speak to your landlord or Housing Officer in the first instance as they may be able to facilitate a move or carry out the necessary work to improve your situation. If given reasonable time to resolve any of the problems your situation has not improved you should request an assessment of your home under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This will tell us about your need to move by scoring the hazard level your home presents.
If you consider that overcrowding is having a negative effect on your household and you are a Borough of Poole resident you must first complete the "Initial Information for an Overcrowding Assessment" form. This will give us the measurements of your rooms and tell us who uses them, based on this the Housing Needs Assessment Officer will make an initial assessment of your crowding and space. If this suggests that the crowding and space in your home may reflect a need to move, a referral will be made to the relevant practitioner to arrange a visit and complete a formal assessment under the HHSRS.
If you are living in private rented or a Housing Association property in Poole you can request a HHSRS assessment from the Housing Standards Officer within the Private Sector Housing Team. They will also be able to help resolve the problems with your Landlord, including taking legal action.
If you are a Poole Housing Partnership tenant you will need to speak to your Housing Officer about getting a HHSRS assessment completed. This will highlight if or what action needs to be taken by your Landlord to improve your circumstances.
Applicants residing out of Poole will need to request this from their own local authority or Landlord.
A Housing Needs Assessment Officer will make a decision as to whether you have an established need and therefore eligible for an additional 2 years on the Housing Register. This decision will be based upon a recommendation from the Officer completing the HHSRS assessment.
I need to move to a particular area to avoid hardship
If you do not currently live within the Poole you need to be aware that only a limited number of people are successful in obtaining social housing within the Borough. It is therefore recommended that you consider other options to meet your needs, for example private rented accommodation. A Housing Advisor can give you more details on your options.
If you need to move to provide or receive care and support then you should speak to Adult Social Services or Children and Young People's Social Care about the assistance they are able to provide. We will need to know about the arrangement you have: the frequency and type of care and support you provide or require. A move will need to be supported by any professionals involved in addressing the needs of the relevant person.
You may need to move to take up an offer of employment. If you have been offered work within the Borough of Poole you will need to provide us with confirmation of this from your prospective employer. You are unlikely however to be successful in obtaining social housing in the short term.
If you are applying for time credits on this basis a Housing Needs Assessment Officer will decide whether you have an established need to move and therefore eligible for an additional 2 years on the Housing Register.
What if I have a need to move under more than one of the above grounds?
If you have an established need to move on more than one of the grounds as set out above then you will have a cumulative need. This will mean that the total time credit for each ground can be awarded, for example if you have a medical need and have moved to private rented to avoid homelessness you will gain 3 years time credit (medical: 2 years + homeless prevention: 1 year = cumulative: 3 years total).
What if my need to move is urgent, how do I apply for priority?
Applicants who feel that their need to move is urgent because their housing is having a severe detrimental effect upon the household are advised to read the advice above in relation to their need. You are only eligible for priority status if you have been awarded time credits in recognition of an established need to move on the same grounds as you wish to get an urgent need to move recognised. Priority status will place you within green band on the register.
Priority status is automatically awarded on the following grounds:
- If the Borough of Poole have accepted a duty to you under homelessness legislation 12 months from the date of your homeless application being accepted
- If you are significantly overcrowded, living in a state of disrepair or in insanitary conditions and your conditions cannot reasonably be resolve by alternative means
- If you are under-occupying Council or Housing Association accommodation
- Applicants transferring from a one bedroom general needs property to a one bed sheltered housing property
The Priority Panel consider the cases which have a need on one of the following grounds:
- Medical
- Welfare
- Need to move to a specific area to avoid hardship
If you feel you have an urgent need to move on one of the previously stated grounds you need to ensure that you have spoken to a Housing Advisor about your options (including applying for Priority Status). You can do so either by phone or through the Housing Advice Surgeries. Please call freephone 0800 0929 710 for further information.
The Housing Advisor may recommend requesting a referral for priority status as an option. If so, a Priority Panel referral request form will need to be completed along with written evidence to support the situation.
A Housing Needs Assessment Officer will then examine the request and ensure that the Priority Panel have all the information necessary. Once complete a referral to will be put to a multi-disciplinary panel to make a decision regarding the award of priority status, the outcome of which will be given in writing to the applicant.
You will need to be able to demonstrate the following to the Panel:
- that your current accommodation is having a severe detrimental affect upon the day-to-day living of your household and
- an urgent move is essential to resolve or significantly improve your circumstances and
- you cannot reasonably be expected to secure suitable accommodation for your household and
- all potential alternative solutions have been fully explored and are not viable and all of the above are supported by written evidence from a relevant practitioner
HOUSING ADVICE FREEPHONE - 0800 0929710
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