Assessment of need and Priority
The banding system
To try and be as fair as possible in deciding who should be offered properties, we use a banding system to determine priority for rehousing. Assessment is based on an applicant’s housing circumstances, suitability of the property, and any medical problems.
Persons eligible to join the housing list will have their application assessed by a Council Officer and placed into one of five bands, in accordance with the ‘Fair and flexible’ statutory guidance. The bands are referred to as ‘A, B, C, D and E’, and applications in band A will be given the highest priority for rehousing, band B the next highest, then C, then band D, with band E applicants having the lowest priority.
Further details of how an applicants circumstances will determine the priority band they are placed in, are set out in Priority bands and criteria for reasonable preference.
Waiting time
The housing register will differentiate between people who are in the same priority band according to their waiting time, taking into account the following:
- For new applicants, the date of their completed application.
- For transferring tenants, the date they applied for a transfer, and have provided all the data required by the local authority to make an assessment.
- For existing applicants or tenants, the date they notified the local authority of a significant change in their circumstances, that is, one which will improve their priority band. For changes that lower their priority band, the date of application applies.
In all cases waiting time will only start to accrue once all the data required by the Council to make an assessment has been provided and the application registered.
Medical priority
Applicants who indicate in their application form that they consider their health or disability is seriously aggravated by their current housing conditions may be asked to complete a self-certification medical assessment form describing their health problems. Additional information, such as from a medical professional, may also be submitted. A home visit may be made to establish how the medical issue is affected in real terms by their housing situation.
Applicants should be aware that even if they provide supporting documents stating that a move to alternative housing would be essential, it is for the Council to determine the appropriate level of priority in accordance with the allocation scheme.
All medical information supplied will be assessed initially by the Dover Medical Panel, consisting of two Council Allocations Officers. Cases where the illness or disability is serious will be passed to the Council’s independent Medical Adviser for assessment.
Applicants will be advised by letter of the medical priority awarded and the type of housing identified as being suitable for their needs.
If we determine that a particular type of property is required on medical grounds; for example a home with no internal stairs, the applicant will be expected to bid for housing matching that criteria. Bids placed on housing that does not meet the required criteria may be bypassed. If the applicant continues to bid on housing that does not meet their medical requirements any priority awarded on medical grounds will be reviewed and may be removed.
If an applicant’s medical circumstances improve, any priority awarded on medical grounds will be reviewed and may be removed.
Kent Agency Assessment
The Kent Agency Assessment (KAA) process is a mechanism for Health or Social Services professionals, and their agents, to refer an applicant with a housing related health/support need, to the Council for help accessing suitable housing.
A Kent Agency Assessment should be used where an applicant requires re-housing due to a health/support need that cannot be met in, or is being exacerbated by, their current housing and the form provides all the supporting information required to assess an applicant’s housing needs.
If more than one KAA is received per household, i.e. one for each applicant, then the band will only be awarded against the KAA providing the highest priority.
Applicants will be advised by letter of the level of priority awarded and the type of housing identified as being suitable for their needs.
Make a new Kent Agency Assessment referral
Service personnel
For members of the Armed Forces, waiting time priority will be based on the total cumulative period of their length of military service rather than just time on the Housing Register.
This will have the effect of raising their priority above applicants in similar circumstances who have not undertaken military service.
Confirmation of commencement of service will be required at the time of registration.
Applications from those currently in Armed Forces housing will usually be suspended until three months before the end of service and details of financial resources at that time will need to be supplied.
Deliberately worsening circumstances
Once we have assessed an applicant’s housing priority, we may reduce that priority if the applicant or a member of their household has done something that has deliberately made their housing circumstances worse.
The applicant will be placed in Band D if for example, they or a household member has:
- moved to new housing that is worse than the previous
- housing without good reason
- sold a property or given notice on a tenancy without securing alternative housing first.
When we decide to reduce priority to Band D this will be will for a period of twelve months from the date of decision.
Other considerations in determining priority
Because of the shortage of social housing and in order to make best use of all the available stock, there may be occasions when properties are restricted to certain groups of applicants waiting for re-housing in order that the Council can fulfil its duties and responsibilities, including achieving a balance of lettings. This will be made clear in the advertisement for the property.
As there is limited availability of purpose built and adapted properties for people with disabilities, those with a need for such housing will be considered for suitable properties, for example with level access, based on medical priority.
In considering priority for re-housing between applicants with a similar priority under the banding Policy, the Council will also take account of the immediacy of need of each applicant. This means, for example, that where two applicants in the same band are interested in the same property and they have equal waiting time, preference may be given where one of the applicants is facing a more immediate loss of their existing home than the other.
If an applicant has multiple needs this will NOT increase their priority. In each case, the most urgent housing need will apply, and the applicant will be placed in the band most suitable for their needs.
Priority for un-adapted houses will be given to families with children aged 13 and under at the date of offer. Irrespective of a household’s banding, an applicant will not be considered for an un-adapted house with a garden if there are no children aged 13 and under within the household. This is because the council’s wish is to make private gardens available first to families with young children so that the children have somewhere safe to play, with other uses being a secondary consideration. Therefore, un-adapted houses with gardens are restricted to those households with children aged 13 and under and that when determining which household should be offered any given property, the usual criteria (as set out from 5.1 onwards) will apply in the normal way.
Where separated parents share custody of a child or children, only the parent who is in receipt of Child Benefit will qualify for a property suitable to house the child or children. A Court Order allowing access to children or confirming residence between separated parents does not mean that the council must consider that the child is part of an applicant’s household for the purposes of a housing register application.
Because of the very limited availability of four and five bedroom homes, priority for three bedroom properties with two living rooms (parlour type), will be given to larger families, to ensure best use is made of the available stock.
Allocations exceptions
People who apply to join the housing register are assessed in accordance with the provisions of Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended). There are a number of circumstances where people will be assessed outside of this and will have their applications managed by the local authority and/or housing association separately. These circumstances are:
- Mutual exchange.
- An application made under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended) (Homelessness) and consideration for temporary housing under this Part.
- Transfers involving a temporary decant for major works, or other management reason not involving an application from the tenant.
- Where a local authority secures the provision of suitable alternative housing under the Land Compensation Act 1973, section 39.
- The grant of a secure tenancy under the Housing Act 1985, section 554 or 555, regarding a defective home.
- Any duties arising from an application made under the Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976, section 27 or 28.
- Where a secure tenant dies, the tenancy is a periodic one, and there is a person qualified to succeed the tenant under the Housing Act 1985, section 89.
- Where a secure tenant with a fixed term tenancy dies and the tenancy remains secure by virtue of the Housing Act 1985, section 90.
- Where a secure tenancy is assigned to someone who would be qualified to succeed to the tenancy if the secure tenant died immediately before the assignment.
- The grant of a secure joint tenancy where the tenancy is held by one of the joint tenants as a sole tenancy.
- The grant of a secure sole tenancy to a former joint tenant, where the joint tenancy has been terminated by one joint tenant and the other tenant wants to remain in the property (when this is in accordance with eligibility for that specific property type).
- Where a secure tenancy vests or is otherwise disposed of in pursuance of an order made under:
- the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 24 (property adjustment orders in connection with matrimonial proceedings);
- the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, section 17(1) (property adjustment orders after overseas divorce); or
- the Children Act 1989, Schedule 1, paragraph 1 (orders for financial relief against parents), or
- Where an introductory tenancy:
- becomes a secure tenancy on ceasing to be an introductory tenancy:
- vests under the 1996 Act, section 133(2) (succession to an introductory tenancy on death of tenant); or
- is assigned to someone who would be qualified to succeed the introductory tenancy if the introductory tenant died immediately before the assignment; or
- meets the criteria in the previous paragraph (disposal).
Discretionary powers
The Allocations Policy cannot cover every eventuality and in special cases where there are exceptional needs the Head of Housing has discretionary power to award additional priority and approve offers of housing, sometimes outside of choice based lettings.
Validation visits
A home visit will usually be made before an offer of housing is made. This is to ensure that the priority band awarded reflects the applicant’s circumstances. Any information that differs from what is held on file may result in a change of banding.
Contact Housing
Tel: 01304 872265