The Process

If you need to apply as homeless your application will be treated in a sympathetic and impartial manner. The following explains the different stages your application progresses though.

The Homeless Persons Legislation requires the Council to make enquiries into your circumstances which will include your address history for the last 5 years. This enables us to assess whether you are:

• Homeless
• Eligible for assistance
• In priority need
• Not intentionally homeless
• Have a local connection with the North Dorset area

The amount of help you are entitled to will depend on the outcome of our enquiries and how many of the above criteria you meet.

Where are you located?

The offices for North Dorset District Council are located at Nordon, Salisbury Road, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7LL.

Tel: (01258) 454111

What if I am not able to get to the office?

In most circumstances you will be expected to attend the offices for an appointment with a Housing Options Advisor.  Home visits can be arranged if you are genuinely unable to physically visit the offices. Home visits are routinely carried out in cases involving the eviction of children aged 16 or 17.

What if I do not speak English as my first language?

You may bring a friend along to help interpret during an interview. If this is not possible then we will make use of a telephone based interpretation service during each interview. Written materials will be provided in the language of your choice where-ever possible.

Will I see the same Officer?

Yes. Though you may begin seeing a Housing Advisor for advice on Housing Options, the person dealing with your homelessness case will usually remain the same throughout investigations until a decision is reached.

What if I am homeless when the office is closed?

If you are homeless outside of office hours you will need to phone the emergency number: (01202) 733 254. This will put you through to a dedicated call centre where you will receive assistance and, if eligible, emergency accommodation.

Accommodation will only be provided on a night by night basis and you will be expected to attend the offices for an appointment with a Housing Advisor the next working day.

Initial appointment

For your first appointment with the person dealing with your Homelessness Case, you will be asked to bring a number of documents along with you to the interview (see the Documents section) and the time taken to complete your assessment can often depend on the availability of this information. Additional interviews may be required if you are unable to supply all the required documentation, or if we need to meet with you to obtain or verify information related to your application.  The documentation we require will vary according to your circumstances but can be extensive if your circumstances are complicated, especially if you are losing your home because of financial reasons.

At the initial interview your case officer will  ask about a wide range of your circumstances and the reasons behind them. Even if you have already seen a Housing Advisor, you may be asked again. Your Case Officer sometimes needs to ask about many of your past circumstances to assess whether you are eligible for emergency accommodation.

What do we do with the information you give us?

We adhere to the Data Protection Act so do not give out your information in ways which would contravene this. We are required however to give information relating to your application to other Councils or departments. We also have a duty to protect public funds and may use information for the prevention or detection of fraud.

False or misleading information

We are under a duty to protect the public funds we administer and may use the information you provide to match it against other information held by the Council, for example Council tax, or Housing Benefits. We may also disclose any such information to other public bodies, or similar external agencies, for the purpose of the prevention or detection of fraud.

You are required to sign a declaration on the application form, which states that you will give us correct information and will not withhold relevant information, or mislead us in any way.

You must also keep us informed of any changes in your circumstances.

The declaration informs applicants that they will be liable to prosecution if any of the information is subsequently found to be false. We will prosecute, and if you are found guilty, you could be ordered to pay a fine of up to £5,000, as set out in Section 214 of the Housing Act 1996, Part VII.

Medical assessments

If you or a member of your household has a medical condition or a disability that you feel should be taken into account you should tell your Case Officer during your interview. You will then be asked to provide certain details about the medical condition and if necessary we will seek independent medical advice on your condition. This will help us to decide whether you are medically vulnerable and so have a priority need under the homelessness legislation. You may also be asked to sign a form agreeing that the medical adviser can approach your GP or specialist for more details if required.

How do we carry out a medical assessment?

We will ask you questions about your medical condition and how it affects you. We will seek confirmation of what you tell us from any medical personnel involved with your case. We will usually send a medical questionnaire to your GP or any specialist you are involved with.

It may be quicker for you to take this along to your GP yourself and ask him or her to complete the form and send it back to us. This will not cost you anything. You should not insist that your GP completes the form in your presence as this may not be convenient for them. We require such forms to be sent back to us by the GP rather than handed in by yourself.

Who makes the decision on whether I am a medical priority?

Your Case Officer will assess the information available and will then make the decision on your application.

Decisions

When you apply as homeless to this Council your Case Officer will take into account all of your circumstances and will make enquiries according to the Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002). When the Council has completed its enquiries into your circumstances, you will be sent a letter setting out the Council’s decision and the reasons why that decision has been made. 

If the decision is positive you will be offered temporary accommodation. If the decision is negative, you may be offered temporary accommodation for a limited period only or you may only be offered advice and assistance to help you secure your own accommodation.

How long will it take to make a decision on my case?

While we aim to reach a decision on an application within 30 days, any complex matter in your situation can prevent a decision from being made quickly.  Financial or medical issues can require in-depth investigation and documentation may require some time to obtain. You can help speed up this process by submitting the documents you are asked for; if we need to send off to third parties for this information it can take more time. We will need to see originals for most documentation but we will take photocopies and return your originals to you.

In some cases the medical assessment will determine whether you are priority homeless, and in such cases we will need to wait until this is complete, before we are able to make a decision on your application.

If you are approaching us while living with friends or relatives we will need to arrange a visit to this address to confirm that you are homeless, before making a decision on your application. We may also arrange visits to other addresses you have given us. If this is the case we will have to wait for these visits to be completed before we are able to make a decision.

What if I disagree with the decision on my homeless application?

If you disagree with the decision, you can ask for it to be reviewed. This must be done within 21 days of receipt of your decision letter and must be submitted in writing. You will receive an official acknowledgement of your review request, setting out the procedure. You will be asked to give reasons why you disagree with the decision, usually within 14 days of receipt of your acknowledgement. The Council will usually reach a decision in 56 days unless an extension is mutually agreed. If you disagree with your review decision, you can also appeal to the County Court. They can overturn a Council’s decision if they think it was legally flawed.

How will the review be dealt with?

If you request a review of your decision you will be invited to submit any additional information within 21 days of the review request. An officer senior to your Case Officer who has not previously been involved in your case will look at all the information on your file. The Review Officer will then make a fresh decision and will set this out in a decision letter which will be sent to you. The review decision is normally dealt with within 56 days but this can be extended if necessary. If you are still unhappy with this decision, you can seek an appeal at Court if we have made an error in law.

Do we ever change our decision?

Yes, the review decision considers everything afresh. This means that the decision may go in your favour or it may be a negative decision but for a different reason, if your circumstances have changed.

Discharge of the Council's Duty

Our duty to provide accommodation to you under the Homelessness Legislation can end if any of the following conditions apply:

• if you cease to be eligible for assistance,
• if you become homeless intentionally from accommodation made available to you,
• accept an offer of accommodation from the Housing Register,
• accept an offer of an assured tenancy from a private landlord (not an assured shorthold tenancy),
• if you voluntarily cease to occupy accommodation made available to you,
• you refuse an offer of accommodation from the Housing Register,
• you accept a qualifying offer of an assured shorthold tenancy

Pets

Unfortunately, the providers of temporary accommodation which we use do not  allow pets to be taken onto their premises. This is not something we can change. You will therefore need to make alternative arrangements for any animals you have responsibility for.

Storage of Belongings

In exceptional circumstances, the Council may be able to book storage of personal belongings for applicants who are homeless. You will be charged for the cost of this, though we may be able to assist by meeting the initial cost. You will need to present Housing Services with three quotes from local firms. We will usually make use of the cheapest option.

Housing Benefit

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