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Priority Need

When you first attend your local homeless department it can be very daunting and nerve racking. After all, this could be one of the worse moments of your life. It's very important to go there well prepared and carry with you all the vital information and evidence you got. If you have a support worker or close friend, take them along for support.They can also be your witness and give evidence for an appeal, if you feel you have been treated unfairly. Homeless officers differ so much, there's good ones who care and show compassion towards you. These will help you the best they can. Then you get the bad ones, who make you feel intimidated by the way they ask questions in an uncaring way, without even giving you eye contact. Many of them have been in the job far to long and have become very cynical to the homeless cause. They are under a lot of pressure and carry very high case loads. But still they are no better than you, just because they are behind some screen and think they can play God with your life, depending on what mood they are in. Don't take no shit and tell them to look you in the eye when talking! It will soon level them. You will be interviewed and they will assess your homelessness and the circumstances. You will be required to sign a disclosure of information, so they can contact all those who are involved with your case. So it will make it a lot easier for them if you take with you any of documents bullet pointed below. It will really save you a lot of time going back and forth when they ask for these at a later time during the investigation. It will also help them make a decision quicker, so you can be re-housed if found in priority need and homeless.

  • Your health and medical needs: Take with you any current medication you are currently taking for your ailments, GP details, Medical Card, National Insurance Number, supporting letters from any of the professionals involved with you or your families, confirmation of pregnacy with date of expectancy. Names and contact of any social worker or health visitor e.t.c. The homeless officer should do a support needs survey on you to find out what support your having or will need in the future, so you can sustain your tenancy. Many officers don't do this as they are either too busy or want to get you out of the interview room so they can go and talk to colleagues while having a cuppa. If you feel you need support demand one to be done. It is their job to do one!
  • Positive Identification: Birth Certificates of you and all your family who are on the application, Driving Licence, Passport and Bank Credit Cards and Statements. Utility Bills within the last 3 months.
  • Housing History: Tenancy Agreements, Notice to Quits (NTQ'S can also be in a form of handwriting from the person of family member who is asking you to leave. They must date, sign it and give you at least 28 days notice,) Any Eviction Notices, Rent Arrears details. , Dates of previous addresses in the last five years and letters of breaches and complaints against you or neighbours. If the house is unsafe and has enviromental issues involved take photo's or reports from professionals.
  • Criminal Evidence: Crime Reference Numbers, Names of Police Officers involved and station . Prison Release Forms, Court dates or summons, Solicitors Details, All these will all be important if your fleeing harassment, anti social behaviour and you feel it's not safe to reside at your address. If fleeing domestic violence you will not be required to take any of this and you should be past onto Womens Aid or the local domestic violence unit. Names and contacts of Probation Officers involved with you. You will also be required to give your offending history and sign a disclosure, so they can find out your past or current offending history.
  • Income Confirmation: Wage slips, Proof of Benefits, Family Allowance, Working Tax Credits, Job Seekers, Pension Details, Incapacity Benefit and Bank Statements. Remember if you have a got a high income from working, you will have to contribute a very high amount if the council put you into temporary accommodation in a Bed & Breakfast or Hotel. You will not get full housing benefit. This really discourages people to work, while homeless!

    Homeless in Wales? Entitled to Help? Are You Priority Need?

priority

The 1977 Act gave local authorities the legal duty to re-house homeless people if they fall into one of four priority need categories:
  • Pregnant women.
  • People with dependent children.
  • People who are vulnerable due to old age, mental illness or physical or mental disability.
  • People made homelessness as a result of an emergency such as a flood or fire.

The 2002 Act added five further categories of priority need:

  • People aged 16 or 17.
  • People under 21 who have been in local authority care.
  • People over 21 who are vulnerable as a result of having been in local authority care.
  • People who are vulnerable due to an institutional background such as having served in the armed forces or having spent time in prison.
  • People fleeing violence or the threat of violence.

Priority need is automatic under the first two categories of the 2002 Act but vulnerability must be proved for the remaining three categories.
As well as proving that they fall into one of the priority groups to be eligible for re-housing people must prove that they are non intentionally homeless – ie have not deliberately brought the situation on themselves.