Special categories for rehousing

Some categories of people are assessed differently from the usual allocations policy and pointing system. These categories include:

• The Community Care Category
• Applicants living in tied accommodation and H.M. Forces applicants
• Applications from people who are being discharged from prison.

Further details are given below on how all of these categories are assessed.

Community Care Category

The following groups of people may be assessed for urgent rehousing under the Community Care Category:

• People who are being discharged from long term hospital care
• People leaving residential care to move into the community
• People who are at risk of reception into residential care or long term admission to hospital.

You cannot apply for a Community Care Category yourself.

If you meet any of the above criteria your Social Worker or Care Manager will complete a referral form and a housing application for you.

Both forms will then be sent to your Area Housing Office. The Divisional Housing Manager will then where necessary arrange a joint visit with your Social Worker or Care Manager, to carry out an assessment of your needs.

You should receive a visit within 4 weeks of your application being received by the Area Housing Office.

After your visit a decision will be made on whether you are awarded a Community Care Category for urgent rehousing. The decision is based on the information given on the initial referral form from your Social Worker / Care Manager and the information gained at your visit.

You will receive the decision in writing, a copy will also be sent to your Social Worker / Care Manager.

Unsuccessful Community Care applicants have the right to appeal the decision. Appeals can also be made through your Social Worker / Care Manager.
Applicants who are awarded a Community Care Category are given a priority for urgent rehousing. In effect, this means that the person shall be given a higher priority than everyone else on the waiting list.

However, where there is more than one person on the list with a Community Care Category, applications are prioritised in date order.

The Social Worker / Care Manager shall confirm that an appropriate care package is in place, before an offer of housing is made.

Community Care applicants who refuse any offer of housing after being awarded the category, will lose their urgent priority status and will then be treated as a mainstream applicant.

Applicants living in tied accommodation

For applicants occupying accommodation in South Ayrshire as a proven condition of their employment, their application will be reviewed, and made live on receipt of written confirmation from their employer that they will be required to leave the tied accommodation by a specified date.

Waiting time points will be awarded from the date the applicant took up occupancy of the tied accommodation at the rate of 4 points per complete year. If the applicant had a current application for housing on entering tied accommodation, waiting points will be awarded from the date of this application.

Points will also be awarded for housing need. Where an applicant indicates that they are living in unsatisfactory housing condition they will require written confirmation from their employer.

Waiting points in respect of previous tied tenancies in South Ayrshire will only be taken into account if residence in tied accommodation has been continuous.

If an applicant does not receive a suitable offer of housing prior to the date they are due to leave employer's accommodation, they will continue to be eligible to receive offers of housing provided they have not secured alternative accommodation which they have a legal right to occupy, and the application has not been suspended for any reason.

Tied applicants who own, or have a legal right to occupy accommodation other than the tied accommodation, will be treated as normal housing list applicants, and their circumstances will be assessed as if they were living in that accommodation. Waiting time points will be awarded from the date of application.

For example, suitable and adequate accommodation includes, but is not restricted to:

1. An assured tenancy
2. A secure tenancy with another local authority
3. A property owned by the applicant and/or his/her partner

The rules in this section will also apply to a surviving partner who confirms that he/she has to leave tied accommodation because of a partner's death.

Where an applicant provides written confirmation that they have split from their spouse/partner, their spouse/partner may apply to be housed on a separate housing application. They will be entitled to receive waiting time points from the date they were registered on the original application as a spouse/partner, and their circumstances will be assessed on the accommodation in which they currently reside.

If an applicant did not have an application for housing while occupying tied accommodation, and has now left tied accommodation, and has not secured accommodation which they have a legal right to occupy, they may apply retrospectively. Waiting time points will be awarded back to the date they entered tied accommodation, on receipt of written confirmation from their previous employer. This request must be made within 12 months of the date the applicant left tied accommodation.

H.M. Forces applicants

Applications from applicants serving in HM forces will be reviewed, and made live on receipt of written confirmation received from their Commanding Officer that they will be required to leave the forces by a specified date.

Waiting time points will be awarded from the date the applicant entered H.M. Forces at the rate of 4 points per complete year. If the applicant had a current application for housing on entering H.M. Forces, waiting points will be awarded from the date of this application.

Applicants who own, or have a legal right to occupy other accommodation will be treated as normal housing list applicants, and their circumstances will be assessed as if they were living in that accommodation. Waiting time points will be awarded from the date of application.

Points will also be awarded for housing need. Where an applicant indicates that they are living in unsatisfactory housing condition they will require written confirmation from their Commanding Officer.

If an applicant does not receive a suitable offer of housing prior to the date they are due to leave H.M. Forces, they will continue to be eligible to receive offers of housing, provided they have not secured alternative accommodation which they have a legal right to occupy, and the application has not been suspended for any reason.

The rules in this section will also apply to a surviving partner who confirms that he/she has to leave forces accommodation because of a partner's death.

Where an applicant provides written confirmation that they have split from their spouse/partner, their spouse/partner may apply to be housed on a separate housing application. They will be entitled to receive waiting time points from the date they were registered on the original application as a spouse/partner, and their circumstances will be assessed on the accommodation in which they currently reside.

If an applicant did not have an application for housing while serving in H.M. Forces, and has now left service, and has not secured accommodation which they have a legal right to occupy, they may apply retrospectively. Waiting time points will be awarded back to the date they entered H.M. Forces on receipt of written confirmation from their former Commanding Officer. This request must be made within 12 months of the date the applicant left H.M. Forces.