Prioritising applications

Home Choice Lincs is designed to make applying for a home as fair as possible by prioritising applicant's needs, rather than it being a first-come, first-served system.

We use a banding scheme to prioritise applications. Banding is based on your needs and whether or not your current accomodation is suitable. We are likely to need evidence from you to confirm your accomodation needs. This could be proof of your citizenship, a medical assessment about your health needs, details of how many children you have or have access to, or supporting statements from an external agency.

Once you've provided us with evidence, your application will be then be assessed depending on your need for a particular type of home. You will then be placed into one of four bands - 1 to 4.

We will also consider whether you are able to afford to resolve your housing needs on your own. Finally, each application will be placed in date order as a final way to "rank" the priority.

If you want to learn more about the ins and outs of the allocations process, you can read our
Joint Allocations Policy in full.

Priority bands at a glance

Band 1 : Urgent priority
Band 2 : High priority
Band 3 : Medium priority
Band 4 : Low priority

Priority bands in more detail

Band 1: Urgent priority

A) People losing their home due to a recognised regeneration scheme within any one of the local authorities within the sub-region.

This includes registered social landlord tenants, private tenants and owner-occupiers living within the boundary of a defined regeneration area who are required to move home
People living-in with the main householder/s who require their own accommodation, provided they have lived there, as their sole or main home, for at least 12 months

B) Applicants owed a S.195 Prevention Duty who are considered priority need and unintentionally homeless, and the Authority is satisfied there is no reasonable prospect of the current accommodation continuing to be available for at least 6 months.

C) Applicants currently owed a S.189B Relief Duty who are considered priority need and unintentionally homeless and the Authority are satisfied they will be owed the main S.193(2) duty when the 189B Relief Duty comes to an end

D) Those applicants the Authority owes a main S.193(2) duty to, assessed as priority need and unintentionally homeless

E) People who need to move on urgent medical grounds

Examples include:

• People in hospital who cannot be discharged because no suitable accommodation is available
• People with a physical or sensory disability who are unable to access their home or essential facilities within it and who have requested a move as an alternative to home adaptation
• Persons serving in the regular or reserve forces and suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which is attributable (wholly or partly) to the person’s service whose current home is no longer accessible to them.

F) People who need to move on urgent welfare grounds

This includes:

People ready to move on, leaving supported housing as part of an agreed plan to re-integrate into the community.
People with learning disabilities/difficulties who are assessed as having to move in order to receive care and support or where their current housing is having a detrimental effect on their quality of life and ability to live independently.
A householder with a child in need (as defined in the Children Act 1989), where a formal referral has been made by Social Services for a change of location in order to safeguard the welfare of the child.
Children leaving the care of the local authority under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.
Adoptive parents or prospective adoptive parents who need to move due to their current accommodation being unsuitable or who need to move to a different location to safeguard or promote the well-being of the child or children they have adopted or are planning to adopt.
People who are fostering children as part of a long-term arrangement and who need a larger home.
People leaving local authority care following a referral from social services e.g. people leaving rehabilitative care to return to independent living.

G) People who have succeeded to a tenancy and who have a need or expressed wish to move to alternative accommodation

People who have succeeded to or have been assigned a tenancy but have expressed a wish to move to alternative accommodation as the property is not suitable for their needs because of its size or type.

H) Current tenants in need of a management transfer due to being found to be at risk in their current home

I) Current tenants of the partner landlords who have come to the end of their fixed term tenancy and need to move to alternative accommodation

Back to Priority Bands

Band 2: High priority

A) People living in overcrowded conditions who are 2 or more bedrooms short of requirements.

Overcrowding is assessed on the number of people within the household and according to the best use of bedrooms and sleeping spaces available.

B) Those owed a S.189B Relief duty but assessed as not in priority need, for as long as that duty is owed to the applicant.

C) People not in priority need but threatened with homelessness (S. 195)

Those owed a S.195 Prevention duty but not considered to be in priority need, for as long as that duty is owed to the applicant; and the Authority are satisfied there is no reasonable prospect of the current accommodation continuing to be available for at least 6 months.

D) People who need to move due to a high medical need

People who have been assessed as having a physical medical condition or a disability where a move to suitable alternative accommodation would significantly improve their health. For example, people who need single level accommodation, People who have been diagnosed as having a significant mental health condition where their current property is having a detrimental effect on their condition (strong evidence must be provided from a mental health professional).
People with a medical condition or disability who are assessed as having to move in order to receive care or support will be allowed to bid for homes with an additional bedroom in order to provide sleep-in for a carer, (evidence of care package will be required)
Serving or former members of the Regular or Reserve Forces who need to move because of a serious injury, medical condition, or disability sustained as a result of their service where suitable alternative accommodation would significantly improve their health

E) Social housing tenants of the partner landlords that are under-occupying a house by 1 or more bedrooms and are wishing to down-size to a smaller property

F) People living in an adapted property where the adaptations are no longer required by any member of the household.

For the purpose of the policy an adapted property is one where significant alterations or additions have been made to a property and/or the facilities within it for a disabled person.

Back to priority bands

Band 3: Medium priority

A) People who need to relocate

People who apply to move to a particular locality within the sub region in order to take up an offer of employment, education or training, or to be nearer to family or friends in order to give or receive support.
Members of the Armed Forces and former Service personnel where their application is made within 5 years of discharge

B) People with shared child care

Those requiring housing following a relationship breakdown and others who have shared access to children (involving two or more overnight stays in a week on average) who are occupying accommodation, which is insufficient for looking after the children.
An applicant with access to children will normally only be considered eligible for a suitably sized flat, unless a house becomes available for which there is no demand.

C) People who are 1 bedroom short of requirements

D) Intentionally homeless households

People who have been assessed by one of the councils housing advice teams as being intentionally homeless and in priority need.
People previously assessed as homeless who have refused offers of suitable accommodation and have been notified that the relevant council has discharged its statutory duty.

E) People occupying insanitary housing or otherwise living in unsatisfactory housing conditions

Determination of insanitary or unsatisfactory conditions as assessed by the relevant local authority for the area in which the property is situated.

Back to priority bands

Band 4: Low priority

People assessed as having no identified housing need or only a low level of need. For example, a person whose current home is adequate to meet their basic needs.
Any applicant who is a home owner or has an asset of significant value pending determination of their ability to resolve their own housing needs. Applicants may be requested to provide evidence of financial circumstances, medical or other care needs in order that their level of housing need can be reassessed. Applicants will be required to put their property on the market prior to any formal offer of accommodation (exceptions may apply, eg when the property can’t be sold for legal reasons).