Support & Advice

If you are homeless, or think that you might lose your home, this page has some important information that might help.

 

Anyone who has a housing problem can ask for advice and help. The sooner you ask for advice and help the more likely your problem can be solved.

 

Your local council will try to help you stay in your current housing if that is possible. If you cannot stay then the council may have a duty to provide you with temporary housing. This depends on why you are homeless and on whether you are in "priority need." You are likely to have a priority need if you:

 

• Have dependent children living with you
• Are pregnant or live with a pregnant woman
• Are aged 16 or 17
• Are under 21 who were in care or fostered between the ages of 16 and 18
• Are vulnerable because you are elderly, have a physical or mental disability, or suffer from a mental illness
• Are vulnerable due to time spent in care, in HM forces, in prison or as a result of violence from another person
• Have lost your home because of fire, flood or other emergency.

 

Your local council’s homelessness team will provide you with support and assistance. If you feel you’re living under the threat of losing your home, they can give you advice on housing benefit and what your rights are. If the matter is being taken to court, they can assist you with this and may be able to attend court with you. They can also put you in touch with other organisations that can help you with your housing problems.

 

Contact the housing options team for your local council.

 

Other organisations who can help:

 

Shelter offer specialist housing advice: 0115 911 0990, and http://www.shelter.org.uk/.

 

Citizen's Advice Bureaux (CAB) offer advice on housing and money issues: 08701 264 093, and http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/em/.