If you are homeless your case officer will need to make enquiries to find out if you have nowhere to stay or will have no accommodation within the next 28 days.
Examples include:
- You have no accommodation in this country or anywhere abroad that you can occupy
- You have the right to live in a property but cannot enter it, for example, you have been locked out unlawfully
- You have a moveable home, like a caravan and have nowhere to park it and cannot live in it
- You fear domestic violence or violence from someone who lives with you or might live with you
- You have been served with notice, which expires within the next 28 days
Eligibility for assistance
There is limited help we can give some applicants if they have lived outside the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man or those who are subject to immigration control.
Your case officer will need to investigate whether you are entitled to assistance. If you are not eligible for assistance we can not arrange housing for you, but we can give you appropriate advice.
Priority need
If you are assessed as homeless and eligible for assistance further enquiries will be made to find out if you are in priority need. You are a priority need for accommodation if:
- You are pregnant or the woman with whom you normally live with is pregnant
- You normally have dependant children living with you.
- You are vulnerable due to old age.
- You have a mental illness or major physical condition, which prevents you from finding and keeping a home for yourself - or you normally live with such a person
- You have a physical disability or learning disability, which prevents you from finding and keeping a home - or are someone who normally lives with such a person
- You are homeless or threatened with homelessness because of an emergency such as a flood or fire
There are additional categories, which have been added to the priority need criteria by the Homelessness Act 2002:
- A person aged 16 or 17 apart from where social services have a duty to accommodate
- A person under 21 who has been fostered or accommodated between the ages of 16 and 17
- A person who is vulnerable having left Her Majesty's naval military or air forces
- A person who is vulnerable having served a custodial sentence
- A person who is vulnerable having been remanded in custod.
When considering whether you are vulnerable we will look at whether you are less able to fend for yourself when homeless and in finding and keeping accommodation.
We may provide interim accommodation whilst enquiries are made to find out if you have a priority need. If you do not have a priority need we are unable to arrange temporary accommodation, although appropriate advice will be given.
Intentional homelessness
Further enquiries will be made to find out if you could have prevented your homelessness. We may decide you are intentionally homeless if:
- You have deliberately given up a home that you could have stayed in or lost it through your own fault
- You have deliberately done something or failed to do something that has led to you losing your home or accommodation
- You have failed to use advice and assistance that was given to you to help you prevent the loss of your home
If it is decided that you are intentionally homeless we will not arrange any further housing for you, even if you have dependant children or have an illness. Instead you will be offered advice and assistance to help you find alternative accommodation. We may provide accommodation for a short period, normally 28 days, to enable you to find other housing.
Local connection with Wokingham Borough
Your case officer will make enquiries to establish whether you have a local connection.
A local connection is based on:
- How long you have lived in the borough - 6 months in the last year or 3 years in the last 5
- If you have a permanent contract of employment in the borough
- If your close relatives have lived in the borough for 5 years, i.e. parents, brother, sister or children
- If there are special circumstances which need to be taken into consideration
If you do not meet the local connection criteria your application may be referred to where you do have a connection, apart from in cases where you have experienced violence.
What happens next
Your case officer will make enquiries and issue you with a written decision letter advising you of the outcome of your application.
If you meet all the criteria then our duty is to provide temporary accommodation for your household until a permanent offer can be made through the housing register. Please remember to complete a housing register form and inform us of any change in your circumstances.
If your case is unsuccessful we will advise you of the reasons why and inform you of the review process. In some circumstances we will give you the appropriate advice to secure alternative accommodation.
Contact details
Contact details for appropriate organisations are listed below:
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Wokingham Borough Council
Telephone: 0118 974 6000
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Homelessness Section
Telephone: 0118 974 6754
Telephone: 0118 974 6752
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Temporary Accommodation Section
Telephone: 0118 974 6756/3782
-
Allocations Section
Telephone: 0118 974 6757
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Social Services - Services for Adults
Telephone: 0118 974 6800
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Wokingham Borough Community Mental Health Team
Telephone: 0118 989 0707
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Education Department
Telephone: 0118 974 6000
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Regarding information on nearest school
- NHS Direct - health informatio
Telephone: 0845 46 47
-
Dental Helpline
Telephone: 0118 918 3358
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Family Planning Service
Telephone: 0118 986 4621
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Berkshire Women's Aid
Telephone: 0118 950 4003
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Benefits Agency - Reading
Telephone: 0118 952 4400
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Citizens Advice Bureau - Reading
Telephone: 0118 959 8059
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Citizens Advice Bureau - Wokingham
Telephone: 0118 989 0389
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Citizens Advice Bureau - Woodley
Telephone: 0118 969 9006
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Christian Community Action Shop - provides cheap second hand furniture
Telephone: 0118 951 2339
You can also visit the Shelter website for help and advice.
