Rental

Eligibility for Social Housing (Council Housing)

The demand for social housing is extremely high, but unfortunately, accommodation councils have to offer is very limited. Therefore, the councils have had to restrict who can apply. Councils are obliged to accept applications from anyone who is:

A British citizen who is living and settled in the UK aged 18 or over (though some councils accept applications if you have turned 16)
A citizen of another country with the right to stay in the UK with no restrictions on how long they can stay

How do councils decide who is eligible for social housing?

Most councils use a points system or banding system based on an individual’s or family’s needs to come to a decision on who they will offer accommodation to.

The following three criteria are high on the priority scale and would put you on the waiting list:

You are homeless
You are currently living in cramped accommodation
Your present home has prompted the onset of a medical condition

In other words, the worse your situation the higher you will move up the waiting list and the sooner you will be offered a place.

Other factors councils take into consideration:

You are connected to the local area and have already been living there for a certain time
You are working in the area
You are caring for someone resident in the area
Your income is below a certain level