Get help from the council
Personal housing plans
The council will agree a personal housing plan with you.
Your personal housing plan sets out the steps you and the council need to take to:
stop you becoming homeless
find you a place to live if you have already lost your home
The council will usually try to help you stay in your home if it is safe and affordable.
If you cannot stay, the council must try to help you find a home you can afford.
If you’re already homeless, the council must help you find somewhere else to live.
How the plan works
The council will ask you to agree to the steps in the plan.
If you do not agree, the council decides what steps you must take. They record the reasons you disagree on the plan.
Tell the council if your situation changes. For example, if you have new health needs or someone else joins your household. The council must update your plan.
If you do not meet immigration and residence conditions, the council only has to give general advice and information.
You can question things in your plan.
If the council tells you to find private rented properties, tell them if you have already tried.
If you need a local property, tell them why. For example, your children go to a local school.
Council support to keep your home
The council can:
give you support to claim benefits
help with advice on tenancy rights or debt
talk to your landlord or family so you can stay
tell you about grants or loans to pay off rent or mortgage arrears
Council help to find a new home
The council could help with:
support to find a private tenancy
money for a deposit or rent in advance
an offer of a council or housing association home
referral to a supported housing project
Steps for you to take
The council may ask you to:
apply to get on the council housing register
look for a private tenancy
get benefits or debt advice
take part in mediation with your landlord or family
How long the council helps for
If your landlord gives you a section 21 eviction notice, the council must usually help for as long as you face homelessness.
In other cases, support usually lasts for:
8 weeks while you are threatened with homelessness
another 8 weeks when you are homeless
If you are still homeless after 8 weeks of help, the council decides if it will give you longer term help.
When the council can stop helping
The council can stop helping if your housing problems are solved, for example:
you find somewhere else to live
your landlord or parents say you can stay
There must be a reasonable chance you will have suitable housing for at least 6 months after the council ends their help.
The council can also usually stop helping if you refuse a suitable housing offer.
If you do not keep to your personal plan
The council can stop helping if they think you did not take an action in your plan that you could. For example, if you did not ask letting agents if they had properties to rent.
The council must give you a written warning and time to take the action before they end their help.
Challenge a council decision to end their help
You can ask for a review if you think the council has made a wrong decision.
Last updated: 18 July 2022