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.

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.