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What happens after you make an application?
How do you know if you have been accepted onto the housing register?
Requesting a review of our decision
If your details and/or circumstances change
Change of household members or/and circumstances
If you are unable to finish the form in one go, you can save your application and finish it later.
Make sure the details you enter into the form are true and accurate. We will assess your application based on the information you give us.
The information you provide may be shared with internal departments or with external partners and agencies involved in delivering services on our behalf.
The council has a duty to protect public funds and may use personal information and data-matching techniques to detect and prevent fraud and ensure public money is targeted and spent in the most appropriate and cost-effective way.
Information may be shared with internal services and external bodies like the Audit Commission, Department for Work and Pensions, other local authorities, HM Revenue and Customs, and the Police. This activity is carried out under social protection law.
We may also check your details with credit scoring companies.
Advice on uploading documents
You can either scan your photographs using a scanner or photograph them using a smartphone with a camea.
The best format to upload documents in is PDF.
If you do not have access to a scanner or camera phone at home, you may be able to use a scanner at your local Idea Store (opens in new tab) .
Save the documents on your computer or phone that you will be using to make your application.
Make sure you keep the originals of all your documents safe as these may need to be seen at a later date (maybe years later) before an offer of accommodation can be made to you.
Uploading documents
- Go back to account and select the 'Upload documents' button
- Choose the type of document you wish to upload from the drop-down menu
- Use the browse button to search for the copy of your document
- Select the 'Add' button to repeat the process for the next document
- If we find that any of your details are incorrect, we may close your application, take away any priority we have given it, or withdraw an offer or even prosecute you for fraud if you have falsified your application.
What happens after you make an application?
We will send you an email that contains a reference number. You will be able to use this number to track your application's progress.
We will assess your application once you have submitted all the required information and documents. The assessment usually takes up to 56 days. You will then get an email that tell you if we have accepted your application. If so, it will also have your priority band and bidding number.
Until you are rehoused or the application is withdrawn or cancelled, you must tell us immediately of any change of circumstances (opens in new tab) .
How do you know if you have been accepted onto the housing register?
You will get an email that confirms you have been accepted onto the Housing Register.
The email will tell you which band you have been placed into. It will also tell you your preference date and the size of property you are eligible for.
Requesting a review of our decision
You have the right to request a review within 28 days of our decision. Requests made after this period are not usually accepted unless there is a valid reason for the delay.
We will consider the facts of your application and representations made as they stand at the time of the review decision.
We have 56 days to make a new decision or uphold the decision we originally made, and give you our reasons. After this time you will not be able to ask for a review of the same decision, which will be our final decision.
If your details and/or circumstances change
Until you are rehoused or application is withdrawn or cancelled you must tell us immediately of any change of circumstances, for example:
- someone moves out of your home regardless of whether they are part of your application
- you or someone in your household buys a property
- your family grows
- you or someone on your application gets married
- changes to income which may exceed £85,000 per year
- we need to know about ANY change to your household or circumstances which must be reported by completing a Change of Circumstances form below.
Change of address
You must give the full details of the type of property you live in. Make sure there is no gap or overlap between the start date and the last date you were in your previous home.
Change of household members or/and circumstances
You can add and remove household members on your application. Our housing allocations scheme document /Change of Circumstances form on the portal, will tell you who you can add to your application.
If we find that any of your details are incorrect or not true, we may close your application, remove any priority given, or withdraw an offer or even prosecute you for fraud.