Dorset Council draft housing allocation scheme 2026 to 2031

Dorset Council’s vision for housing, set out in its housing plan, is to ensure our residents have access to affordable, suitable, secure homes where they can live well as part of sustainable and thriving communities.

Dorset Council’s aims for its housing allocation scheme to contribute to its vision for housing, by:

1. Making best use of social rented housing available to let.
2. Ensuring those most in need of social rented housing are prioritised for it.
3. Allocating social rented housing to people whose housing needs cannot be met by the commercial housing market.

The aims of Dorset Councils Housing Allocation Scheme, helps to meet the key objective from the following Dorset Council housing strategies:

• Housing Strategy 2024 – 2029:
  • Enable residents to live safe, healthy, independent lives in homes that meet their needs.
• Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2021 to 2026
  • Prevent homelessness.
  • Arrange for suitable accommodation to be available for everyone.
• Tenancy Strategy 2025 – 2030

• [we will insert relevant objective(s) once Tenancy Strategy has been drafted and approved]

This chapter outlines Dorset Council’s policy for allocating social rented housing

1.1.    Dorset Council shall allocate social rented housing following the policy and procedure set out in this Scheme. Decisions about the allocation of social rented housing shall be taken by officers acting under delegated powers. 

1.2.    Dorset Council owns less than 200 units of housing stock, which used in the exercise of its duties and powers to provide temporary accommodation to homeless households and also for people at risk of rough sleeping. 

1.2.1.    54 private registered providers of social rented housing collectively hold around: 

• 24,000 units of social rented housing in the Dorset Council area. 
• Four-fifths (82%) are held by four private registered providers, 
  • three of which previously received transfers of housing accommodation from Dorset Council’s predecessor district local housing authorities. 
• the remaining one-fifth of units (18%) are collectively owned by 50 private registered providers, 
  • five of which are also Almshouse Trusts (collectively owning less than 1% of units). 

Information on private registered providers social housing stock in the Dorset Council area, can be viewed here [link to be added].

1.3.    Dorset Council will allocate social rented housing, which is low-cost rental accommodation, made available for rent at below the market rate, to people whose housing needs are not adequately served by the commercial housing market. 

1.4.    Dorset Council shall allocate the following types of social rented housing:

• general needs housing. This is the most common type of social rented housing. It can be allocated to any person with a need for social rented housing, or
• supported housing. This type of social rented housing has special design facilities, or features targeted at specific persons requiring support, for example, housing designed for older people

1.5.    Dorset Council shall allocate social rented housing to be let at the following rent rates – 

• social rented housing, let at a social rent rate. This is the most common type of rent, it is set in accordance with a national formula that takes account of relative local earnings, for properties, relative value and the number of bedrooms it has, or
• social rented housing, let at an affordable rent rate. Where the rent to be paid by tenants can be no more than 80% of the market value of the property, or
• social rented housing, let at an intermediate rent. Often part of a specific named scheme. Rent must not exceed 80% of current market rate, the reduced rent is an opportunity for the tenant to save towards a house purchasing deposit. There may also be a future opportunity to purchase all, or a share of the property currently being rented

1.6.    Dorset Council shall allocate social rented housing to a person that is eligible for an allocation of social housing and qualifies to join Dorset Council’s housing register, by nominating them to be an assured tenant of social rented housing held by a private registered provider.

1.7.    Dorset Council shall allocate social rented housing to tenants seeking a transfer of social rented housing, in line with the rules of this Scheme. Tenants who under-occupy their social rented housing that seek a transfer to downsize to a smaller home, shall be given priority for an allocation of social rented housing and shall be exempt from disqualification rules relating to outstanding rent or service charge arrears that have been incurred because of under-occupation. 

1.8.    Dorset Council shall make objective decisions about the allocation of social rented housing. Information on what social rented housing Dorset Council allocates will be published on the Scheme website. Dorset Council shall allocate social rented housing as quickly as possible (in line with nomination agreement held with private registered providers), advertising homes available to-let on any day of the week, for any duration of time, to minimise void periods and reduce waiting times.

1.9.    Dorset Council carries out an analysis of its housing register and nominations it makes to private registered providers, and lettings made by private registered providers with stock in the Dorset Council area, to make sure the needs of tenants and households on the housing register are met and to inform any future amendments to this Scheme. Dorset Council carries out consultation with tenants and households on the housing register and anyone else interested in how social rented housing is allocated by Dorset Council, to seek their views on changes that might be made to the way social rented housing is allocated. 

1.10.    Dorset Council will give people choice over social rented housing they are allocated, while ensuring the primary purpose of the stock, is to meet housing need. Dorset Council wants to make sure tenancies are sustainable and communities are settled, viable and inclusive. 

1.11.    When allocating social rented housing, Dorset Council shall offer households on the housing register, an opportunity to express their preference on types of property they might be allocated and a choice of accommodation. To accomplish this, an advertising system is incorporated into this Scheme. 

1.12.    Alongside this, Dorset Council will support tenants, households on the housing register and prospective applicants to choose the housing option which is best for them. This shall include promoting a wide range of options within Dorset and elsewhere (such as, low-cost homeownership, mutual exchange, the private rented sector). Information shall be provided about staying put options (where desirable, viable and feasible, such as aids and adaptations, mobility schemes, moves from high to low demand areas and housing advice centres.

1.13.    Dorset Council shall seek to make best use of social rented housing stock, by prioritising those most in need of social rented housing for an allocation of social rented housing. Social rented housing that is intended for households with specific needs (e.g. accessible housing, older persons housing, etc) will be allocated to households that have a need for such housing, such as vulnerable people with housing care and/or support needs that are inextricably linked, to compliment other programmes of care and support commissioned and all provided by Dorset Council. 

1.14.    Any stipulation set out in planning consent, for example in regard to Parish local connection, will proportionally influence how people are prioritised for an allocation of social rented housing. Dorset Council’s rules for allocating social rented housing play a part in its broader strategic approach to housing, by helping to make best use of existing housing and enabling housing needs to be met. 

1.15.    This Scheme sets out how households can apply to join Dorset Council’s housing register, how decisions will be made about applications, and the procedure to be followed when a review of a decision is requested.

1.16.    Dorset Council shall make sure that language and interpretation assistance is available for people who have difficulty speaking or reading English.
 

This chapter explains the policies that decide which tenants occupy social rented housing in Dorset, that are not covered by this Scheme.

2.1.    Dorset Council shall use local letting Plans to allocate particular homes to people of a particular description and achieve a wide variety of housing policy objectives, for example to deal sensitively with lettings on new housing development sites giving priority to those with a local connection to the parish council area.

2.2.    A local letting policy shall be operated alongside this main scheme, and act as an additional set of circumstances which will be considered or rule which will be applied. A local letting policy shall apply to a specific housing development and be supported by evidence on why it is required. 

2.3.    Dorset Council shall publish local letting policies as separate documents, which will be revoked or revised as appropriate. They shall include an explanation of the local letting policy which shall be evidence based. Where it is intended that a local letting policy shall be time limited, it shall include a plan for ending it.

2.4.    Dorset Council shall, before agreeing to adopt a local letting policy, view the consultation feedback from people (e.g. tenants, people on the housing register and anyone else interested in how Dorset Council allocates social rented housing) who are likely to be affected by it. For example, when a local lettings policy is to apply to a new housing development, tenants and residents in the parish council area where the new housing development will occur, shall be consulted. Any private registered provider that owns stock in the area where the local letting policy is intended to be introduced, shall also be consulted in relation to and where appropriate involved in developing local letting policies. 

2.5.    The proportion of housing available through local letting plans will vary based on the specific details of each new housing development and the planning conditions for initial and future lettings. 

2.7.    Dorset Council shall monitor and review local letting policies regularly, as to their effectiveness, to make sure decisions are fair and not discriminatory, and where they are no longer appropriate or necessary. Copies of local lettings policies can be viewed by clicking on the following link [insert hyperlink]

2.8.    Private registered providers of social housing that own stock in the Dorset Council area, that operate a housing register separately from the housing register operated by Dorset Council, that have rules explaining how:

• people seeking to be a social housing tenant, will be prioritised for an allocation of social rented housing, and
• their tenants who are seeking to transfer the tenancy from their current home to another social rented home, will be prioritised for an allocation of social rented housing
• they (private registered providers of social housing) will allocate any social rented homes that are not allocated from nomination arrangements agreed with Dorset Council and allocated via the rules in this policy

Private registered providers that have shared their rules with Dorset Council, can be viewed here [link to be added].

2.9   The availability of private housing in Dorset is restricted by high house prices, high numbers of second homes and a low wage economy. As a significant proportion of social housing in Dorset is rural this policy aims to sustain these rural communities by giving local people in housing need, priority for these properties and reducing reliance on new social housing developments.

2.10   Some rural properties are subject to Section 106 agreements imposed during their development which restricts residents to those applicants meeting specific criteria and these restrictions take precedence over the housing allocations policy standard criteria. 

2.11   Rural properties not subject to Section 106 agreements will detail whether the personal residency in the local connection criteria and any other factors need to be met in the advertisement. In these circumstances’ applicants may be required to hold a connection to a parish or settlement. Those applicants with this connection and the highest priority from the register will be selected. 

2.12   Where no applicant meets the criteria, the area will be expanded to the neighbouring parish or settlement or the wider Dorset Council area until a suitable application is received. Where the property is a specific type (for example is accessible) and no applicants meet the rural connection with a need for that specific property, applicants from the wider Dorset Council area will be considered where they have specific needs relating the property type. Failing this, applicants with a less priority on the register would be considered. 

2.13  Dorset Council will allocate 75% of these properties in this way in order to help create mixed, sustainable communities. 
 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure to decide if a person is eligible for an allocation of social rented housing.

3.1.     Dorset Council can allocate social rented housing to people who have a right to live without any restrictions to residence in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.

3.2.     Dorset Council is not allowed to allocate social rented housing to persons from abroad who are subject to immigration control and those that are not subject to immigration control, but for whom regulations stipulate should not be eligible for an allocation of social rented housing. Dorset Council is not allowed to make a person from abroad a tenant of social rented housing. Dorset Council shall allocate social rented housing to persons from abroad, only when the law allows. Dorset Council shall seek verification of a person’s immigration status from the home office whenever there is any uncertainty about this.

3.3.    Dorset Council shall not allocate social rented housing to persons from abroad who are not entitled to Universal Credit or Housing Benefit (regardless of whether they would apply for these benefits.

3.4.    Dorset Council shall not make decisions about tenants seeking a transfer of social rented housing, about their eligibility for an allocation social rented housing, due to tenants being exempt from eligibility rules. 

3.5.    Dorset Council shall explain to each person who applies to join the housing register, whether they are eligible for an allocation of social rented housing. When Dorset Council decides a person is not eligible for an allocation of social rented housing, they will be provided with an explanation as to how this decision was made. Dorset Council shall provide people with a written decision about their eligibility for an allocation of social rented housing. Dorset Council shall issue decisions to each person via an individual online user account, or by the preferred method specified in their application. 

3.6.    Dorset Council shall make sure that online accounts are kept available for a person 
to access, for a reasonable period of time after a decision has originally been made. 

3.7.    Dorset Council shall make a decision about eligibility for an allocation of social rented housing, when any person who applies to join its housing register and, again for person who is accepted to join the housing register, when they are subsequently considered by Dorset Council for an allocation of social rented housing. 

3.8.    When deciding about whether a person is eligible for an allocation of social rented housing, Dorset Council shall assess (as relevant) a person’s (and that of their family members):

1. Nationality.
2. Economic activity.
3. Compliance with worker registration schemes.
4. Immigration status.
5. Entitlement to public funds.
6. Where they usually live and where they are living when they make an application of to join the housing register.

3.9.    Dorset Council shall not decide about a person’s eligibility for an allocation of social rented housing, if a person withdraws their application to join Dorset Council’s housing register.

3.10.    Dorset Council employees responsible for making decisions about eligibility for an allocation of social and housing shall be provided with training about housing allocation law and practice.

3.11.    Dorset Council shall inform persons who are from aboard who are eligible for an allocation of social rented housing,  that changes to their immigration status could affect their eligibility for an allocation of social rented housing. This information will be given when they join the housing register.

3.12.    A person whom Dorset Council has deemed to be not eligible for an allocation of social housing, may make a fresh application if they consider they should no longer be treated as not eligible. It will be for the person to show that their circumstances have changed.

3.13.    A full description of persons that are eligible for an allocation of social rented housing can be found in an appendix to this policy. 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure to decide if a person qualifies to join the housing register.

4.1.    Dorset Council shall only allocate social rented housing to people who satisfy the qualifying criteria set out below. 

4.2     Dorset Council have decided that to qualify for an allocation of social rented housing, people must be:

1. Capable of holding a tenancy; and
2. Not guilty of past unacceptable behaviour; and
3. Have a local connection to the Dorset Council area; and
4. Not have sufficient income or savings to meet their housing needs from the commercial housing market.

4.3.    Dorset Council have decided to disqualify a person for an allocation of social housing when they are:

1. Incapable of holding a tenancy; or
2. Guilty of past unacceptable behaviour; or
3. Have no local connection to Dorset; or
4. Have sufficient income or savings to meet their housing needs from the commercial housing market.

4.4.    A person applying to join the housing register must satisfy all qualifying criteria. When qualifying criteria includes a person’s usual household member, they also must satisfy the applicable qualifying criteria. A person’s usual household member is defined as:

• people who normally live with the person making the application to join the housing register; and
• people who might be reasonably expected to live with the person making the application to join the housing register.

4.5.    A person is not a qualifying person when they are incapable of holding a tenancy agreement, for example due to being:

1. Aged under 18 years; or
2. Looked after children owed a duty of care; or
3. Aged over 18 years lacking sufficient mental capacity to hold a tenancy agreement.

4.51.    Exceptions apply to people who are incapable of holding a tenancy agreement, when they are: 

• eligible children
• relevant children, (iii) former relevant children, and (iv) former relevant children pursuing further education or training, entitled to care leaving support from Dorset Council, or
• aged over 18 years lacking sufficient mental capacity to hold a tenancy agreement but have a suitable guarantor (e.g. Dorset Council’s Adults Social Care) who can hold a tenancy on their behalf.

4.6.     A person (extending to their usual household members) is not a qualifying person when they are guilty of past unacceptable behaviour.

1. Behaviour that was serious enough that it could have been reasonable to allow Dorset Council to secure a possession order had the applicant been a tenant at the time the behaviour occurred (regardless of whether they were a tenant of Dorset Council when the unacceptable behaviour occurred) and 
2. The persons behaviour remains unacceptable at the date of application, and or at the date any allocation of social housing might be made.

4.6.1.    Unacceptable behaviour that makes an applicant unsuitable to be a tenant, includes:

1. Breaches of tenancy conditions, for example:
   • having outstanding rent or service charge arrears, or property-related recharges connected to a tenancy (see exemption below) or
   • causing nuisance or annoyance (or allowing persons visiting them to cause nuisance or annoyance):
     • to others living or visiting the neighbourhood of their home
     • to employees (or contractors of) Dorset Council and/or private registered providers that own stock in the Dorset Council area, carrying out housing management functions
   • having an unspent conviction for:
     • allowing their home to be used for immoral or illegal purposes
     • an offence committed in their home or nearby to their home
   • having an unspent conviction for an offence which occurred during and at the scene of a riot in the UK
   • violence or threats of violence towards another person that caused them to leave the home they were living at together, with the intention of not returning
   • damaging or neglecting their home
   • damaging or neglecting furniture in their home provided by their landlord
   • deliberately making a false statement to be granted a tenancy by Dorset Council (or another landlord)
   • paying money or receiving money as part of a mutual exchange
   • being guilty of conduct that makes it inappropriate to continue living in their home, due to the home being part of a building used for non-housing purposes (e.g., a property situated in the grounds of a school or a public park)
      
   2. Having unspent convictions or breached an injunction for serious anti-social behaviour, for example:
   1. entry to a dwelling house that has been subject to a closure order
   2. noise nuisance and environmental legislation
   3. violent offences
   4. sexual offences
   5. offences involving weapons
   6. offences against property
   7. road traffic offences
   8. drug-related offences
   9. modern slavery
   10. encouraging or assisting to cause serious antisocial behaviour
   11. conduct causing nuisance to the landlord
   12. offences connected with riot

4.6.2.    Exceptions to outstanding rent or service charge arrears or property related recharges, connected to a tenancy with Dorset Council (or another landlord), apply for people who: 

1. Were not the tenant, when the outstanding arrears and/or recharges were accrued (e.g. the arrears or recharges occurred after a person stopped being a tenant or were accursed by a former member of their household); or
2. Their outstanding arrears and/or recharges accrued are no longer outstanding (e.g. they have been repaid or are legally ruled out due to being accrued more than 7 years ago and never being acknowledged by the debtor); or
3. Are a social housing tenant seeking a transfer and have made a payment within the past month, equal to the usual rent or service charge payable connected to the tenancy against which the arrears or recharges are owed (including a person whose arrears have accrued as a result of being subjected to overall benefit cap and have had an application for a discretionary housing payment refused), 
4. Are a new applicant and have:
   1. Agreed a repayment schedule for the outstanding arrears or recharges; and
   2. Made at least three consecutive repayments as per the repayment schedule; and
   3. Are up to-date with their repayments schedule; or
5. Have outstanding arrears or recharges that do not relate to a tenancy (e.g. non-housing debts such as Council Tax arrears); or
6. Are a social housing tenant under-occupying their current home (by the Local Housing Allowance size criteria) and intend to downsize to a smaller home, in regard to arrears incurred because of under-occupation; or
7. Their arrears or recharges were as a result of them being a victim of domestic abuse (e.g. financial abuse); or
8. Are a serving, or former member, of the regular Armed Forces, or their spouse or civil partner is/was, who has accrued mesne profit charges as a result continuing to live in a home provided to them by the Armed Forces, following a relationship breakdown.

4.7.    A person (including their usual household members) is not a qualifying person when they do not have local connection to the Dorset Council area due to:

1. Not normally being resident in the Dorset Council area, by their own choice (i.e. they’ve been detained in custody, serving a custodial sentence, or detained under mental health laws), for a minimum of two years; or
2. Not being employed in the Dorset Council area for 2 years or more for a minimum of 16 hours per week.
3. Not having any association with close family (defined as adult children, parents, siblings, or someone else who can be regarded as a near a relative) resident in the Dorset Council area, by their own choice, for a minimum of two years; or

4.7.1.    Exceptions to local connection requirements, apply to people who are:

1. Members of the UK Armed Forces community who are:
   • currently serving or have served in the regular armed forces
   • bereaved spouses or civil partners of those serving in the regular armed forces, where:
     • the bereaved spouse or civil partner has recently ceased, or will cease to be entitled to, reside in ministry of defence accommodation, following the death of their service spouse or civil partner, and
     • the death was wholly or partially attributable to the service
   • serving or former members of the reserve armed forces who are suffering from a serious injury, illness, or disability which is wholly or partially attributable to their service
   • divorced or separated spouses or civil partners of service personnel who need to move out of accommodation provided by the ministry of defence
   • adult children of currently serving members of the armed forces who may no longer be able to remain in the family home
2. Tenants (of any English local authority or private registered provider) who:
   • need to move to the Dorset Council area for work (including an apprenticeship) related reasons (e.g. travel time, transport, type of work, personal factors, contract length, employment prospects) because if they are unable to do so it would cause them hardship
   • need to move because they work (including an apprenticeship) in the dorset council area, or need to move to take up an offer of work in the Dorset Council area (including an apprenticeship) and have a genuine intention to take up the offer
   • the work (including an apprenticeship) is intended to last for more than 12 months, of 16 hours or more a week and their level of earnings will be substantial (for example above average for type of work they do or are being offered)
3. Escaping violence, harm or harassment
4. Escaping domestic abuse, or are living in a refuge or other form of safe temporary accommodation in the Dorset Council area, having escaped domestic abuse:
   • eligible children
   • relevant children
   • former relevant children
   • former relevant children pursuing further education or training, entitled to care leaving support from Dorset Council
5. Homeless, within the meaning of Housing Act 1974, section 174, in the Dorset Council area
6. Gypsy, Roma or Irish Traveller ethnicity with no local connection to any other local authority district, in the Dorset Council area
7. Owed a homelessness duty by Dorset Council, who were housed outside of the Dorset Council area
8. Needing to be near special medical or support services which are available only in the Dorset Council area
9. Returning to the Dorset Council area where they previously were brought up or lived for a considerable length of time, following a period of imprisonment or hospitalisation
10. A social housing tenant under-occupying their current home in the Dorset Council area (by the local housing allowance size criteria) and intend to downsize to a smaller home
11. Subject to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) and a multi-agency risk assessment has been carried out and it is safe to do so
12. Intending to move to the Dorset Council area because there is a need to provide care to a relative or a need to receive care from a relative who has lived in the Dorset Council area for more than two years, that:
    • would enable a relative to continue living independently and prevent the need for a relative to move into residential or specialist accommodation
    • reduce the distance or travel time to the relative to whom they will be giving or receiving support
    • there is a need to give or receive support daily for at least one hour per day

4.8.    A person is not a qualifying person when their earnings and/or savings, together with the other main earner in the household, allow them to meet their housing needs from the commercial housing market, due to:

1. Being a sole or joint owner (including anyone who has a mortgage for the whole or part of a home) of a house (including flats and second or holiday homes), which they usually live in or rent to others for them to live in, or building or land intended for use for a residential dwelling, in the UK or abroad;
2. Having £16,000 or more of savings (£23,500 for adults who have been assessed Dorset Council as needing care); or
3. Earning £60,000 or more of taxable income in the most recent tax year.

4.8.1.    Exceptions to homeownership and the earnings and savings, apply to people who:

1. Are elderly, who cannot stay in their own home and need to move into sheltered accommodation or other types of older person specific social rented housing; or 
2. Are elderly, whose homes are no longer suitable for them to continue to occupy (for example due to medical or welfare needs or are otherwise unsatisfactory due needs or reasons related being elderly); or
3. Are disabled and require accessible housing, who do not qualify for:
   • a disabled facilities grant from Dorset Council; and/or 
   •  housing renewal assistance (e.g. to purchase a new home, adapt or improve their home, repair their home, demolish their home and build a replacement) from Dorset Council or through a third-party such as a home improvement agency; and/or
4. Have a home that is a poor condition of repair, and continued occupation of the home may endanger the health of a person (including anyone who normally lives them or who it is proposed will live with them) and there are no reasonable steps that can be taken by the person to prevent the danger or the person does not have the resources to rectify the problem; or
5. Have a home that they could not raise sufficient equity to enable them to afford alternative suitable accommodation; or 
6. Have been deserted by the main wage earner following a relationship breakdown and may become homeless; or
7. Have let a house and cannot secure entry to it, because it is not safe to enter the house due to structural faults or where there are squatters living in the house; or
8. It is probable that occupying the home will lead to abuse from someone currently living the home or who previously lived with them in that home or elsewhere; or
9. Are Armed Forces personnel or their families, in relation to any lump sum compensation received for injury or disability sustained on active service with Regular or Reserve Forces; or
10. A young person leaving care, or a former care leaver, who is in receipt of funds paid to them because of compensation relating to the reason why they were a looked after child and/or because of experiences while a looked after child. 
11. Foster carers and adopters, special guardians, and family and friend carers approved by Dorset Council (who have taken on the care of a child because their parents are unable to provide care); or
12. Are a social housing tenant under-occupying their current home (by the local housing allowance size criteria) and intend to downsize to a smaller home.

4.9.    Dorset Council shall treat the following persons as qualifying, in the follow circumstances:

1. Members of the UK Armed Forces community:

   • will be exempt from needing to have a connection to Dorset
   • any lump sum compensation received for injury or disability sustained on active service will be disregarded when earnings and savings are taken account of
   • any mesne profit debt accrued from remaining in residence, following an expiry of notice to vacate armed forces accommodation, shall be disregarded when outstanding rent or service charge arrears or property-related recharges are taken account of
2. Tenants (of any English local authority or private registered provider) who need to move due to work-related reasons to avoid hardship will be exempt from needing to have a connection to the Dorset Council area
3. Those escaping domestic abuse, including people who are living in a refuge or other form of safe temporary accommodation, having escaped domestic abuse in another local authority area will be:
   • exempt from needing to have a connection to Dorset

4. Tenants of a private registered provider that owns stock in the Dorset Council area, under-occupying (by Local Housing Allowance bedroom criteria) their home who wish to downsize to a smaller home:

   • will be exempt from needing to have a connection to the Dorset Council area
   • any outstanding rent or service charge arrears, or property-related recharge will be disregarded
   • any earnings or savings above the stipulated threshold will also be disregarded

4.10.    Dorset Council may in exceptional circumstances choose to disapply the qualifying criteria in specific circumstances, for example people who are intimidated witnesses or protected persons who need to move quickly from another local authority area.

4.11.    Dorset Council shall notify people if they are not a qualifying person, explaining reasons for the decision. A decision about whether a person is a qualifying person, will be made at the time of initial application, and again when considering making an allocation. 

4.12.    People applying to join the housing register are required to provide appropriate documentary evidence that they are a qualifying person. Dorset Council shall verify all evidence provided by a person applying to join the housing register. Dorset Council shall on a case-by-case basis, taking account of UK data protection law, contact other people and organisations as necessary to assist in the verification of any evidence submitted by people applying to join the housing register. Examples of evidence include:

1. Employment contracts.
2. Wage/salary slips or bank statements.
3. Tax and benefits information.
4. Photographic ID for applicants over the age of 18 
5. Proof of Local Connection to the Dorset Council area
6. Proof of current address

4.13.    Dorset Council shall issue decisions about qualification to a persons’ individual portal account, which is hosted via an online software system. Applicants will be required to open a portal account when they start the process of applying to join the housing register. Dorset Council will notify people if further supporting information is required or a decision has been issued to their portal account. 

4.14.    A person whom Dorset Council has previously deemed to be not qualifying to join the housing register, may make a fresh application if they consider they should no longer be treated as not qualifying. It will be for the person to show that their circumstances have changed. 
 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure for maintaining its housing register and the type of information that shall be kept on it. 

5.1.    Dorset Council has established and maintains a register of persons who are eligible and qualifying for an allocation of social rented housing, known as the housing register. 

5.2.    Dorset Council keeps the housing register in an electronic format on a software system, provided and maintained by a third-party organisation. 

People applying to join the housing register will have opened an online individual portal, linked to a software system used by Dorset Council to administer the allocation of social rented housing. 

A person’s online portal shall allow them to make an application to join the housing register, request information about the housing register, express preferences about any home that might be allocated to them, etc. Dorset Council shall issue all decisions, including reasons for decisions, via a person’s online individual portal.

5.3.    Dorset Council maintains the housing register for people applying for an allocation of social rented housing, and for social housing tenants seeking to transfer from their current home to another home. Entries on the housing register for people applying for an allocation of social rented housing, and for social housing tenants seeking to transfer their tenancy, can be distinguished. 

5.4.    Dorset Council’s housing register contains information, such as:

• the number of people on the housing register
• the number of people falling into one or more of the statutory reasonable preference categories set out in law, for example
• people who are homeless
• people who may be owed a homelessness duty 
• the number of members of the armed forces community given additional preference 
• allocations
• adapted and accessible properties and how these are matched to people who have access need
• properties advertised as part of or outside of the choice-based lettings
• nominations taken up

5.5     Dorset Council shall use information held on the housing register to inform its strategic approach to housing, such as, when assessing the housing needs of the population of Dorset.

5.6.    Dorset Council shall process and store personal data provided by people applying for an allocation of social housing, in compliance with data protection law. Dorset Council is prohibited from divulging to members of the public that a person is a social housing applicant.

5.7.    Dorset Council shall inform people of their right to view the information held about them on the housing register.
 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure for administering applications to be put on the housing register, how the housing register may be amended and how people may be removed from the housing register.

6.1.    Dorset Council shall put a person on the housing register if they apply to be put on it and they are eligible for an allocation of social rented housing and are a qualifying person. A person who is not eligible for an allocation of social rented housing or is not a qualifying person, will not be put on the housing register. The date a person joins the housing register shall be known as the registration date. 

6.2.    Dorset Council shall only put a person on the housing register when they make an application to join it. Applications to join the housing register shall be made on a standard online form, which shall be accompanied by guidance notes that are easy to understand and in plain language. A person can only make one application at any time to join Dorset councils housing register, multiple applications to join the housing register are not permitted.

6.3.    Dorset Council shall notify a person when they have been put on the housing register. A person’s entry on the housing register shall include details of:

1. People who normally live with them, for example:
   • a member of their family (i.e. those with close blood or marriage relationships and cohabiting partners); or 
   • children (their own, and/or a child they have adopted, fostered or a step-child) who: 
     • are aged up to 18 years
     • normally live with them (i.e. the person that is making the application to join the housing register) on a permanent or regular basis
     • at least part of the time.
2. People who might be reasonably expected to live with them, for example:
   • children in the care of children services or staying with relatives but will return to live with their parent(s) (i.e. the person that is making the application to join the housing register), if they are allocated social rented housing. (in such circumstances, Dorset Council shall liaise with children services before reaching any decision about the allocation of social rented housing); or
   • foster children, potential adoptive children, or other children whom a person (i.e. the person that is making the application to join the housing register) has been approved by Dorset Council to be involved in their upbringing; or
   • children living with one parent who, by arrangement between two separated parents or as a result of shared residence order made by the family courts, are to begin living with their other parent (i.e. the person that is making the application to join the housing register); or
   • children of a person who has earlier fled their home in fear of domestic abuse; or
   • a person unable to return from hospital to their normal home, where they were living before going into hospital (i.e. with the person that is making the application to join the housing register); or
   • a person (i.e. the person that is making the application to join the housing register) who has to live apart of their spouse or civil partner, because they have nowhere that they can live together; or
   • lodger, nanny, carer, friend of the family or anyone else, living with the person making the application to join the housing register, or
   • a prospective carer, (i.e. the person making an application to join the housing register) who wishes to live with and look after another person.
3. The address of the person who applied to join the housing register.
4. The date on which the person was put on the register.
5. The most recent date on which an entry on the register was amended

6.4.    Dorset Council shall amend a person’s entry on the housing register when there is an alteration to Dorset Council rules for allocating social rented housing.  It is the responsibility for applicants to log into their portal account immediately if there is a change in their personal circumstances such as change of address or housing need and make any changes to their application as appropriate. This will then be assessed and confirmed by Dorset Council. 

6.5.    Dorset Council shall review the housing register regularly to make sure information held about each person is up-to-date. Dorset Council shall operate an annual rolling review, contacting people on the housing register, on the anniversary of their registration date, providing them an opportunity to confirm whether or not their housing needs have changed and to see if they still wish to remain on the housing register. 

6.6.    Dorset Council shall notify a person when their entry on the housing register is amended, explaining the reasons for any amendment. Any amendment that results in a person being afforded a higher priority, shall be given a new registration date. Any change that results in a person having the same degree of priority or a lower priority, will retain their original registration date. 

6.7.    Dorset Council shall remove a person from the housing register, in the following circumstances: 

1. A person is no longer eligible or qualifying to be allocated social rented housing; or
2. A person requests to be removed from the housing register; or
3. A person dies; or
4. A person fails to respond to a first request and a follow-up request, to a review of information held about them on the housing register or other correspondence, such as request for information or an allocation of housing; or
5. A person has have moved away or no longer needs or wants to be housed by Dorset Council.

6.8.    Dorset Council shall notify a person, via their online portal, before they are removed from the housing register, explaining the reasons for the removal. 

6.9.    Dorset Council shall consider every application received to join the housing register, provided it is made in accordance with the rules of this Scheme. 

6.10.    A person applying to join Dorset Council’s housing register is required to provide sufficient detail about their personal circumstances, to enable Dorset Council to assess their housing need, or to identify those cases where further investigation may be needed. Dorset Council shall liaise with other local authorities, other landlords and other agencies (e.g. adult social services, children services, NHS trusts, prisons and probation) to verify a person’s circumstances and their housing needs. When carrying out liaison, Dorset Council will do so in accordance with information sharing protocols. Dorset Council shall liaise with medical and welfare expert when assessing a person’s application that suggests they have a medical or welfare need.

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure for issuing decisions policy for people to request a review of a decision.

7.1.     Dorset Council shall notify a person of their decision and of the reason for it when:

1. A person applies to be put on the housing register, explaining if they are;
   • eligible or ineligible for an allocation of social rented housing, and/or
   • a qualifying or not a qualifying person; or
2. Dorset Council removes a person from the housing register, explaining why they are now: 
   • ineligible for an allocation of social rented housing, and/or
   • not a qualifying person
3. Any decision about the facts of a person’s application which are taken into account, when Dorset Council consider whether to allocate a home to them.

7.2.    Dorset Council shall, when notifying a person that they are ineligible for allocation of social rented housing, explain whether this is because:    

1. A person is subject to immigration control within the meaning of asylum and immigration law, or 
2. Because of other legislation that stipulate specified persons from abroad are in eligible for an allocation of social rented housing.

7.3.    Dorset Council shall, when notifying a person that they are not a qualifying person, shall explain whether this is because:     

1. They or a member of their household has been guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make them unsuitable to be a tenant of Dorset Council and in the circumstances at the time that application has been considered, they are unsuitable to be a tenant of Dorset Council due to that behaviour, or 
2. Any other reasons why they are not qualifying person.

7.4.    A person can themselves request to be removed from the housing register. They can do so by notifying Dorset Council via the portal. Dorset Council shall confirm receipt of such a notification and also confirm when the request has been acted on. Following which, a person’s portal shall be closed. 

7.5.    Dorset Council shall inform a person of their right to request a review of the following decisions:

1. Not to put a person on the housing register who has applied to be put on it, due to them being: 
   • ineligible for an allocation of social rented housing, or
   • not a qualifying person
2. To remove a person from the housing register (for example, because they believe their application has been unreasonably cancelled);
3. Any other facts of their case which have been taken into account when considering whether to allocate social rented housing to them, including:
   • the priority awarded and whether this is a fair reflection of their housing needs, medical conditions, other welfare needs, or any other facts regarding their entitlement to a reasonable preference for an allocation of social rented housing
   • whether or not a person should receive additional preference due to having urgent housing needs or otherwise
   • they have been unfairly suspended, or their application has been unreasonably cancelled
   • the number of offers refused
   • offence related to information given or withheld by them
   • fraudulent or incorrect allocations
   • the type of property which will be considered to be allocated to them

7.6    A person must make a request for a review before the end of the period of 21 days beginning with the date on which they are notified of Dorset Council’s decision and reasons. Dorset Council, may, in exceptional circumstances, allow a person a longer period to make a request for a review. A person may make a request for a review in writing (e.g. via a letter or email, or the portal) or orally (e.g. via a telephone call or visiting Dorset Council’s offices.) A person is entitled to instruct another individual or organisation to submit a request for a review on their behalf.

7.7.    When making a request for a review, a person should set out the reasons for their request. This might be for the following types of matters (this list is not intended to be exhaustive and the matters shown below are provided for illustrative purposes only):

1. The reliability of the evidence Dorset Council has relied on to make a decision.
2. How Dorset Council has interpreted the evidence it has relied on to make a decision.
3. The compatibility of Dorset Council decision compared to housing allocation legislation.
4. Whether there are sufficient facts available to Dorset Council to reach a decision.
5. Whether a person has been given the benefit of the doubt by Dorset Council when a decision was made.

7.8    A person cannot request a review of a decision reached on an earlier review. 

Upon receipt of a review request, Dorset Council shall carry out a review of their decision in accordance with the procedure set out in the next chapter of this policy (Chapter 8).

7.9    Dorset Council shall notify a person when a review of a decision commences, as well as the decision reached at the conclusion of the review.

7.10    Dorset Council shall notify people of the formal complaints process that is in place, including service standards and time frames for handling and responding the complaints, so people know what to expect. People will be informed of their right to make a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

7.11    Dorset Council shall monitor complaints, to get an indication of improvements that need to be made.

7.12.    Dorset Council shall invite people to provide feedback on their satisfaction with using its housing allocation scheme and service. This might when they join the housing register or when they nominated to a private registered provider or at other times. 
 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure for carrying out a review of a decision.

8.1.    Dorset Council shall carry out a review of a decision as per the procedure set out below.

8.2.    Dorset Council shall appoint an employee of the local authority of an appropriate seniority to that of the employee who made the original decision, who was not involved in the original decision, to carry out the review.

8.3.    Dorset Council shall allow a person to make written representations which should be received by Dorset Council within at least five days of submitting their review request.

8.4.    Dorset Council, at its discretion, shall allow a person an oral hearing and allow a person to be represented by a third-party of their choosing at any such hearing. 

8.5.    Dorset Council shall determine whether or not an oral hearing takes place, based on the facts and circumstances of the particular case. Dorset Council is more likely to hold or hearing, when an applicant has not made any written representations. 

8.6.    If there is to be an oral hearing, Dorset Council shall give notice to a person of the date, time and location that the oral hearing will take place, no sooner than five days after a request for a hearing, unless a person consents to a lesser notice. 

8.7.    Dorset Council shall proceed with an oral hearing even in the absence of a person, taking account of any explanation offered for their absence. Dorset Council shall allow for the postponement of an oral hearing and will determine whether or not to grant or refuse a request to postpone a hearing, as it sees fit. Dorset Council shall adjourn a hearing at any time during a hearing, as it sees fit. If a hearing is rescheduled, and the person carrying out the hearing on behalf of Dorset Council has changed, the hearing shall be a complete rehearing of the case.

8.8.    When carrying out a review, Dorset Council shall consider all of the facts previously made available to it when the original decision was made, along with any new or additional information available at the date the review decision is made. A review decision will concentrate on reaching conclusions as to whether the original of decision was made consistently with Dorset councils housing allocation policy and whether the original decision was compatible with the law. A review decision will set up whether the original decision is being upheld or overturned or varied and give reasons for any conclusions reached.

8.9.    Dorset Council shall notify the person concerned of the decision on the review, via the portal.

8.10.    Dorset Council shall, when a review decision is to uphold the original decision, notify a person of the reasons for the review decision. Dorset Council shall provide a person with information about their right to seek a judicial review or make a complaint to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman.

8.11.    Dorset Council shall complete a review of a decision and notify a person of the decision, via the portal, within 56 days of receiving the review request. Dorset Council may, on agreement with the person who requested the review, extend the period of time in which the review shall be completed. 
 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure when a person makes an application for an allocation of social rented housing, how people will be informed of their prospects for being rehoused, and how a person’s information held on the housing register will be handled.

Applications for an allocation of social rented housing

9.1.    Dorset Council is aware of its public sector equality duty and shall work to ensure that no applicants’ application are discriminated against or treated unfairly. Dorset Council shall provide advice and information, free of charge, to people in Dorset, about the right to make an application to join the housing register, regardless as to whether or not a person might wish to make an application. This shall include information about:

• application procedures
• qualification and prioritisation criteria
• how to apply for advertised vacancies
• how people on the housing register are selected for an allocation
• advertising criteria (e.g. priority for bungalows is given to older people or accessible housing for disabled people.); and
• review procedures

9.2.    Dorset Council shall provide guidance notes that are easy to understand and in a plain language, to help a person complete their application to join the housing register. 

9.3    Dorset Council shall provide any assistance necessary, free of charge, to people in Dorset who are likely to have difficulty without assistance to make an application to join the housing register. 

9.4    Dorset Council shall obtain information from applications completed by people applying to join the housing register, to assess and determine if they are likely to have:

• priority under the rules of this scheme
• difficulty in making an application or choosing their accommodation without such assistance
• access or support needs

9.5.    Dorset Council shall only request information needed to assess whether a person is eligible and qualifies to join the housing register and priority for housing. Appropriate evidence could include :

• valid passport or other identity documents;
• birth certificate
• rent arrears repayment plan
• A contract of employment
• Wage/salary slips covering a certain period of time
• bank statements
• tax and benefits information, for example proof that a person is in receipt of welfare benefits

9.6.    In cases involving harassment or domestic abuse, Dorset Council shall never ask a person for evidence and shall take a person's stated fears as sufficient. When determining the extent of priority, a person should be given for an housing allocation, Dorset Council might seek relevant evidence from organisations such as police, social services, health. 

9.7.    Dorset Council shall, when identifying such people, make further enquiries as to what assistance they might require. For example, assistance may be provided to people with physical or mental impairments, people who may have difficulty in living independently in the community without care and or support, etc. 

9.8.    Dorset Council shall work together with other relevant agencies and providers, to ensure people can make an application to join the housing register and consider support requirements at different stages of the allocation process. This extends to people who do not have access to or are unable to use a computer or the internet.

9.9.    Dorset Council together with social services, prisons, probation and relevant health bodies and professionals, other housing providers, the voluntary sector, carers and user groups, shall identify people who are likely to require intensive support throughout the process, such as assistance to choose accommodation that is appropriate to their needs, and make sure that suitable assistance is available. Dorset Council shall provide assistance itself or rely on other organisations and individuals to provide assistance. 

9.10.    Dorset Council shall provide access to translation and interpreting services, for people whose first language is not English. Where there is a significant number of speakers of a particular language, Dorset Council might publish information in that language. 

9.11.    Dorset Council shall provide information in other accessible formats for people with various communication needs, for example people with learning disabilities, people with literacy issues and people with a visual or hearing impairment. This might include large print, British Sign Language (BSL), braille or audio. 

9.12.    Dorset Council shall provide information to people who are likely to have difficulty accessing information, for example, via outreach work, home visits or housing advice surgeries to prisoners, the gypsy and traveller community, etc. 

9.13.    Dorset Council shall provide user-friendly information about its housing allocation scheme via a dedicated website, via the telephone and in printed hardcopy form upon request. 

9.14.    Dorset Council shall provide information to a person when they apply to join the housing register, how their application will be treated, how much priority they might be given to be allocated a home and whether a home appropriate for their needs is likely to be made available to them and if so, how long it is likely to be before such a home becomes available for allocation to them. 

9.15.    Dorset Council shall make available general information about the profile of social rented housing stock in Dorset. This might include the type, size and location of the stock, whether it is accessible or could be adapted, whether there is access to a shared or private garden, how old it is, and how frequently it is likely to become available.

9.16.    Dorset Council shall provide information about appropriate housing options which might be available to people in Dorset. This information shall be made available when people apply to join the housing register and more generally via the housing allocation scheme website. This might include information about:

• private rented accommodation
• low-cost homeownership options
• mobility schemes, which enable people to move out of Dorset; and
• home improvement scheme or aid and adaptation services which enable people to remain in their existing accommodation for longer

9.17.    Dorset Council shall provide information to people when they first join the housing register, that a choice-based system is being used to help allocate homes, so they know how the system works and to assist them to participate successfully in bidding for homes being advertised as available to let. 

9.18.    Dorset Council shall provide generalised information, via the applicants portal account,  scheme website, about how many bids have been received for a particular property and the what band that the successful bidder was in, to help people on the housing register make decisions about what sort of homes to bid for.

9.19.    Dorset Council shall provide generalised information, via the scheme website, about the number of direct lettings made. 

9.20.    Dorset Council shall, upon request from a person on the housing register, provide personalised feedback about a particular vacancy they might have been interested in but were unsuccessful when bidding for it. This might include their relative position on the shortlist, or why they were unsuccessful.

9.21.    Dorset Council shall provide information, via the scheme website, to help people calculate estimated waiting times by bedroom need. Calculation of waiting times for older persons housing shall also be possible.

9.22.    Dorset Council shall provide people on the housing register, information about vacancies which are advertised. Vacancies advertised via the scheme website, shall be notified to people who cannot use a website and at their request Dorset Council shall bid on a vacancy on behalf of a person. 

9.23.    The scheme website shall be accessible for people who have visual impairment or learning disabilities. As much as possible, this information shall be provided using symbols and maps. This information shall also be provided in large print, braille, made available on disk or tape, and be translated upon request. This information shall help people to determine:

1. Whether they are entitled to bid for a property;
2. Whether a property meet their needs and any other requirements;
3. What their likelihood of success would be if they made a bid for a property; and
4. Basic details about a property such as:
   • location
   • type (e.g. flat, bungalow, etc)
   • size (e.g. number of bedrooms)
   • floor, and whether or not it has a lift
   • type of heating
   • whether it has a garden
   • the amount of rent payable
   • type and level of adaptations,
   • condition of the property
   • access to services,
   • information about transport, education and other local public services, and
   • what type of applicant is entitled or excluded from bidding for a property, or who will be given a preference for a property

Information about the housing register

9.24.    Dorset Council shall, upon request from a person, make a service access request to see the entry relating to themselves on the housing register and receive a copy of it free of charge. 

9.25.    Dorset Council shall not, without the consent of a person, share any information about them that is included on the housing register. Dorset Council shall share information about a person (with their consent,) on the housing register, for example, to ensure that a person is properly assisted to participate in bidding for a home that is advertised by the scheme and that they are housed properly. 

9.26.    Dorset Council shall, prior to sharing information about people who are victims of domestic abuse, enquire as to whether the organisation they are sharing information with, has employees who are trained in supporting victims of domestic abuse. Dorset Council shall make sure employees responsible for making decisions about the allocation of social rented housing, have appropriate knowledge and training to allow them to identify possible victims of domestic abuse.

9.27.    Dorset Council shall share personal information without consent if a lawful basis can be identified, for example a person’s safety is at risk. Dorset Council shall determine on a case-by-case basis whether it is appropriate to share information regarding safeguarding concerns, including, but not limited to concerns about domestic abuse, with other agencies (such as private registered providers). Where there is a need to share data without consent, this shall be done in accordance with UK data protection law.  

9.28.    Dorset Council shall adopt information sharing protocols to make sure that it and other agencies are clear about the type of information which shall be shared, with whom and for what purposes. 

9.29.    Dorset Council shall adopt information sharing protocols with organisations such as social services, other statutory agencies and voluntary agencies. 

9.30.    Dorset Council shall when devising information sharing protocols, and when passing on information about individuals on the housing register, will be mindful of responsibilities under data protection legislation. 

9.31.    Dorset Council shall inform people when they apply to join the housing register and when they join the housing register, of their right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office, if they believe the data has been shared without their consent. 

9.32.    Dorset Council shall obtain from applications, information to monitor the fairness of allocations and compliance with equal opportunity requirements. Information about ethnicity, disability, gender, age, religion, and sexual orientation shall be collected through applications.

9.33.    Dorset Council shall inform people when they apply to join the housing register and again when they join the housing register, of their right to make a complaint to the Equality and Human Rights Commission if they believe they have been discriminated against when decisions about the allocation of social rented housing have been made. 

9.34.    Dorset Council shall, once an application is submitted, keep people informed about what happened next. This might include:

1. Sending confirmation that the application has been received, when it will be verified and what checks will be made;
2. Asking for any information that has not been supplied by the person making the application and give five working days  to provide it (this can be extended at Dorset Council’s discretion) and make them aware of how it may affect their application if they fail to provide it;
3. Advising people that they must inform Dorset Council about any changes in circumstances that could affect their application and level of priority; or
4. Explaining Dorset Council will be in contact with them and the contacts they can expect throughout the allocation process.

9.35.    Dorset Council shall, once an application has been verified, inform a person making an application, about the outcome. When a decision is made that a person can join the housing register, a person shall be informed about the level of priority they have been awarded, and that they should notify immediately Dorset Council about any changes in circumstances which could affect their application and their level of priority. 

9.36.    Dorset Council shall aim to verify applications within six weeks. 

9.37.    People applying to join Dorset Council’s housing register shall be asked to sign a declaration that the information they have provided is correct to their knowledge. People will be advised that Dorset Council and private register providers of social rented housing shall raise action in the court for recovery of possession where a tenancy has been given on the basis of information being knowingly withheld or false information knowingly supplied by a person.

9.38.    Dorset Council shall carry out checks to verify an application when it is received and when an offer of housing is made.

9.39.    High risk offenders with an offending history will always require an appropriate risk assessment in the first instance, which will take MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) guidance into account where appropriate. They will only be considered for the waiting list once a multi-agency risk assessment is carried out to consider what type of accommodation is appropriate
 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedures for offering choice to people on the housing register, making offers of homes and rights to refusal, choice afforded to people who are homeless or owed a homelessness duty, choice afforded to disabled people needing accessible housing, and circumstances when choice might be restricted.

Choice

10.1.    Dorset Council shall prioritise people on the housing register, and allocate homes, following the procedure set out in this chapter. Decisions about allocations will be made by Dorset Council employees tasked with administering housing allocation functions. 

Most applicants will be entitled to express a choice about the type of social rented housing that they might be allocated. A minority of applicants, on some occasions or in specified circumstances will not be entitled to choice and instead will be made a direct let of social rented housing and a bid automatically placed on their behalf. 

10.2.    Dorset Council shall offer people on the housing register a choice of the home that they wish to be allocated. People will be able to apply (referred to as ‘bidding’) for particular homes which are advertised as vacant on the housing allocation scheme website. People will be able to bid for up to six homes per day. Dorset Council shall, whenever possible, take such preferences into account when allocating housing.

10.3.    Dorset Council shall operate an ‘open advertising’ approach whereby all people on the housing register, and members of the wider population, can find out about vacancies which are advertised on the housing allocation scheme website. 

10.4.    Specialist accommodation might be advertised via the housing allocation scheme website, to extend choice to as many people as possible. However, where housing designated for a specific purpose (e.g. housing for older people, accessible housing adapted for disabled people, housing for people sleeping rough, etc) is advertised alongside other homes, it will be made clear that only those people with relevant housing and/or support needs may bid for it. This shall be done, for example, by making clear in the details of the advert, only certain categories of people will be considered for the homes.

10.5.    Dorset Council shall work together with other relevant agencies and providers to ensure people can bid for homes. This extends to people who do not have access to, or are unable to use a computer or the internet. People that that may have difficulty in bidding for homes without assistance, for example people with physical or mental impairments, shall have access to any necessary assistance to make a bid, such as Dorset Council automatically placing a bid for them (known as auto bidding). 

10.6.    Dorset Council reserves the right to reject a bid on grounds of risk. People shall be informed of the reasons for such decisions and being informed of the properties they can bid for. People who pose a risk to themselves, to other individuals, or are at risk from other individuals, for example due to sexual or violent offences, shall be restricted in the homes that they shall be nominated to. The extent of risk posed shall be determined based on the facts and evidence available concerning a person’s application. 

Dorset Council shall seek reliable evidence to determine the extent of current or future potential risks and shall proportionately weigh this when making any decisions concerning risk. Any decisions made about risk shall give a person the benefit of the doubt where evidence is inconclusive. Before any final decision is reached about the extent of risk associated with a person, Dorset Council shall provide a person an opportunity to comment on the intended decision concerning the extent and nature of the risk.

10.7.    Dorset Council reserves the right to make a direct let to manage the risk posed by some people or for other management reasons. A direct let is when a person is not offered a choice of accommodation. 

A direct let shall be made when a person is not bidding for properties that they would otherwise have been entitled to receive an offer for. Except regarding some homeless applicants occupying temporary accommodation (under any duty) who will always be made a direct let. 

A direct let will be made by Dorset Council, selecting a person for a property that is available to let from a registered provider, or by arranging for a bid to be automatically placed on their behalf, for homes that would meet their housing needs. 

Examples of when a direct let might be made, include (the following list is illustrative only and is not intended to be exhaustive):

• people whose home has been compulsory purchased (where Dorset Council is required to offer a specific property to meet legal requirements); or
• people who are tenants, who need to leave their original home to facilitate an area regeneration scheme, who do not bid for any advertised homes that would be suitable for them to occupy; or 
• people who are homeless or owed a homelessness duty who do not bid for any advertised homes that would be suitable for them to occupy, or
• people seeking a move under a witness mobility scheme; or
• people subject to multiagency public protection arrangements (for assessing and managing the risks opposed by sexual and violent offenders), who pose a serious risk to the community (e.g. MAPPA level 1 and 2 cases)

10.8.    Dorset Council shall only consider making an allocation to people who have made a bid for a particular home, except when a decision is made to make a direct let. Dorset Council has a ICT software system which generates a general list of people who have met the criteria and placed a bid, for any home being allocated, based on its size. The list will include anyone needing a home of that size and then will show people who have made a bid in descending order of priority (as determined by the banding system, see next chapter for further information on the banding system). Homes are advertised on a daily basis. As a general rule, homes which have been advertised shall be offered to an applicant who:

• has the highest priority under the scheme, and 
• has been on the housing register the longest (by date of completed application submitted to join the housing register), and
• has a local connection of at least two years to the Parish or Town Council area in which the property is located , and
• matches the lettings criteria for that home (e.g. the type of home, its size and bedroom needs of the household, its location, accessible adaptions have been made or might be possible, etc), and
• matches any quotas that might be in place

10.9.    A person’s date of registration to join the housing register shall be based on the date they submitted a completed application. When a person’s housing needs change and Dorset Council decides a person has a higher priority for housing, which result in them being moved up a band, their date of registration will be based on the date that they were placed in the higher band. If a person’s housing needs change and Dorset counter decide a person has a lower priority for housing, which results in them moving down a band, their date of registration will be based on the date that they were placed in the lower band.

10.10. A more restrictive letting criteria may be made when making first lets of homes on new housing developments, or due to a local letting policy being in operation.

10.11. Dorset Council shall reject (known as ‘skipping’) a bid for existing homes, which would otherwise have been successful where the home would not be suitable for that particular person (e.g. due to needing to manage risks posed by or to a person from or to other people, or the accommodation would not meet their identified needs).

10.12. Dorset Council shall not skip a person’s bid unless there are sound reasons for doing so. There will sometimes be good reasons why the person at the top of the list is not offered a home and they will be skipped on that occasion. 

10.13. Where Dorset Council does pass over a person’s bid, which would otherwise have successfully bid, they shall be provided with the reasons for this decision and inform them of their right to request a review of the decision. Dorset Council shall keep a record of reasons behind decisions to skip a person on the housing register. 

This information will help in monitoring the operation of the housing allocation scheme and make sure that there is not systematically disadvantaging of particular individuals or groups. Common reasons for skipping a person on the housing register might include the person has already refused a very similar property and has said they’re not interested in receiving a similar offer.

10.14.    Dorset Council shall make sure people receive sufficient information about homes which are advertised, to enable them to make an informed decision as to whether or not to bid for it. The following information will be made available (whenever provided by private registered providers) when a home is advertised:

1. Provision type (e.g. general needs, housing for older people, etc)
2. Rent type and charge (e.g. social/affordable/intermediate rent, weekly rent and service charges and any other property related charges etc) 
3. Unit size and maximum occupancy for each unit. (e.g. studio, number of bedrooms, non-self-contained or self-contained)
4. Letting criteria priorities (when applicable) (e.g. under-occupiers prioritised, disabled people with accessibility need only, etc)
5. Tenure type (e.g. flexible tenancy, secure tenancy, etc)
6. Condition of home (e.g. type of windows/boiler/insulation/walls, whether it has a loft, number of floors, installation of renewable technology (if so, what type), state of repair, modernity of amenities and services, heating system and energy performance certificate, year of build, etc).
7. Location (e.g. street name and postcode, etc)
8. Accessibility (e.g. approach routes, ramps, steps, entrance doors, corridors and doors, lifts and stairs, gardens, adaptations already made to individual homes, etc)
9. Local services (e.g. GP surgery, schools/colleges/universities, Jobcentre Plus, post office, public transport, etc)
10. Typical running costs (e.g. Council Tax, heating, water, etc)

Offers of a home and refusals

10.15.    Dorset Council shall provide people with appropriate advice and assistance to help them to bid effectively. The fact that an applicant has made a bid for a home should not be treated as meaning that Dorset Council has made a final decision to allocate it to them. 

10.16.    Dorset Council shall, on occasions, withdraw an allocation of home, for example, if a person;

1. Is no longer eligible to be allocated social rented housing
2. No longer qualifies to join the scheme
3. Would be overcrowded or under-occupy a home if it was allocated to them
4. Does not require such adaptations, but they have been allocated a home that has adaptations to make the home accessible for a disabled person
5. Is disabled and requires adaptations to be made to a home that has been allocated, to make accessible for them, but it is not possible for adaptations to be made to the home.
6. The home is designated as supported housing (e.g. sheltered housing, extra care housing) and the person does not need such housing.
7. The person would be at risk of domestic abuse, violence, or threat of violence due to the locality of the home that has been allocated to them

10.17   Dorset Council shall on occasions, use its discretion and make an allocation outside of the rules of this scheme. An example of this is if Dorset Police recommended someone moves home because they are being harassed and asks for help to rehouse a person immediately. 

10.18.  Dorset Council shall when using discretion, make sure that a person has exceptional level of need, greater than others on the housing register or the circumstances are also extreme or unusual that they would not be adequately prioritised for a home. Dorset Council does not expect to need to exercise discretion on a regular basis. Dorset Council shall keep clear audit trials when discretion has been used and record the reasons for an allocation. There shall be clear authorisation processes in place, with authorisation by a senior officer. 

10.19.    Dorset Council shall allow people a reasonable period of time to make a decision about any home they have been nominated, providing them with an opportunity to view the home before making a decision as to whether or not they wish to accept or reject the home they have been nominated. Dorset Council shall allow sufficient time for people who require additional assistance and/or support to arrange for an adviser or an advocate (who may be a friend or family member) to accompany them when viewing a home and to take advice in making their decision to accept or reject an offer. 

10.20.    Dorset Council shall ask people who are nominated to a private registered provider for a home that is available to-let, to provide information, including but limited to:

1. Evidence that they continue to be:
   • eligible for an allocation of social rented housing, 
   • qualify to be Dorset Council’s housing register, and 
   • entitled to reasonable or additional preference for an allocation of social rented housing
2. The number and ages of other persons who normally reside with them as a member of their family or who might reasonably be expected to reside with them

10.21.    People shall have a limit of three homes nominated to them, that they are allowed to refuse. After which, they shall be suspended from bidding for a period of 12 months. This approach is designed to minimise the time loss in making offers that are not accepted. People on the housing waitlist shall be reminded of the limit to the number of offers made, when an offer of housing is made to them. 

10.22.    When a when a person refuses one or more offers of a home, a first step will be to encourage the person to review and discuss the choices they have made in terms of area and type of property. Where they decline to do this or does so but then continues to turn down, a person may be suspended for a period of 12 months.

10.23.    When Dorset Council makes initial contact with a person to see if they’re interested in a particular home, if they are not, for example because they are currently unwell, Dorset Council might choose to bypass the person.

People who are homeless or owed a homelessness duty

10.24.    Dorset Council shall make a direct let to any person who is homeless or owed a homelessness duty and is occupying temporary accommodation under the following duties or powers:

1. The interim accommodation duty 
2. The main housing duty
3. The power to secure accommodation and performance of the relief duty 

10.25.    To accomplish this, Dorset Council shall automatically make a bid on behalf of any person who is homeless or homelessness duty and occupying temporary accommodation. 

10.26.    A person who is homeless or owed a homeless duty shall  be offered a home in accordance with the shortlisting criteria set out at section 10.8. People who are owed a homelessness duty occupying temporary accommodation have the right to refuse a suitable housing allocation. If a person does refuse a suitable offer (within the meaning of the term set out Housing Act 1996 part 7 – Homelessness), Dorset Council shall make them aware that its duty of homelessness assistance has come to an end. 

10.27.    People shall be allowed to remain on the housing register if they continue to be eligible and qualify, although they will no longer be given priority due to being owed a homelessness duty. Instead, their housing needs will be reassessed and any priority given will be based on their housing needs at this time. If a person continues to be homeless at this time, then they will continue to be afforded a priority due to this fact.

Disabled people

10.28.    Housing which has been designed or adapted to meet the needs of disabled people will be advertised via the scheme. It shall be prioritised for people who have access needs. This will be explained in the advertising criteria. Disabled people can apply for accessible vacancies, and for accommodation that does not meet their needs, when a registered provider has assessed that it is reasonable and practical to adapt the home. 

10.29.    When an accessible property is advertised, the advertisement shall give sufficient information about the level of adaptations and/or accessibility features in the accommodation, so that people can make informed decision on whether or not to bid for a particular property. Information shall be included about external access to the property (e.g. whether there is a ramp up to the property and whether there is accessible parking nearby) and relevant information about the surrounding area (e.g. local shops and public transport that is easily accessible). 

10.30.    Dorset Council proposes to establish and maintain a database of accessible properties owned by all private registered providers of social housing with stock in Dorset. Disabled people shall be able to see the full range of accessible properties, including the number and types of properties, accessibility features, and the level of adaptations of each property and location. Such information shall be provided to assist disabled people to decide whether or not to bid for a particular home which is advertised. 

10.31.    Dorset Council shall provide disabled people with additional assistance and support, depending on the nature and degree of their disability. 

Restricting choice

10.32.    Dorset Council shall attach advertising criteria to particular homes, specifying people of a particular description will be given preference for that particular home. For example, advertising criteria will be used for: 
a.    When local lettings policies are being used to achieve housing management and other housing policy objectives; or
b.    A certain proportion of homes are to be let to people who have no identified housing need or only low-level need; or
c.    To match people with access needs to accessible accommodation.

10.33.    Dorset Council shall not allow every person to express an interest in or be considered for any, and every available home to let. People shall not be permitted to bid for homes, which would result in statutory overcrowding or under occupation (on a case-by-case basis, under occupancy might be allowed for hard to let properties or where a private registered provider wishes to bring down the child density ratio on an estate). Therefore, couples and single people will not usually be permitted to bid for a home that has more than one bedroom. Dorset Council shall provide information when a property is advertised, to assist people in establishing whether or not they are entitled to express an interest in a particular home available to let. 

10.34.    Dorset Council shall make a final decision on whether it is appropriate to nominate a person to any particular home. When doing so the following shall be taken into account:

1. Provision type (e.g. a home is housing for older people and person has no need for such housing, or a home is general needs housing and a person has a need for supported housing or housing for older people, etc).
2. Rent type and charge (e.g. a person cannot afford the pay the rent and all other property related charges for a home). 
3. Unit size (e.g. a person and their household would be overcrowded or under-occupy a home).
4. Letting criteria restrictions (e.g. a home must be allocated to disabled people with accessibility needs
5. Location (e.g. a home would result in a person or members of their household being at risk to or from others).
    

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedures prioritising people for an allocation, determining bedroom entitlements and setting quotas.

11.1.  Dorset Council shall when allocating homes, give a preference to people in the following order of bands:

• Band One: people with urgent housing needs
• Band Two: people with priority housing needs
• Band Three: people with unmet housing needs
• Band Four: people with other housing needs

11.2. People who might fall into more than one band shall be placed in the band that gives them the greatest priority. Dorset Council shall, when making decisions about prioritisation, disregard a persons’ household members, if such household members are ineligible for an allocation of social housing.

Band One: urgent housing need

• not intentionally homeless with priority need
• urgent medical grounds
• UK armed forces
• domestic abuse
• urgent welfare grounds
• disaster/emergency

Band Two: priority housing need

• homeless relief
• under occupying social rented housing
• overcrowded by two or more bedrooms
• foster carer/adopters and care leavers
• insanitary and unsatisfactory housing conditions
• medical grounds
• welfare grounds
• hardship grounds
• giving-up from accessible housing

Band Three: unmet housing need

• homeless
• homelessness prevention
• intentionally homeless
• homeless out-of-authority
• social housing tenants right to move
• UK armed forces community
• overcrowded

Band Four: other housing need

• social housing tenants seeking a transfer
• need for older person housing
• supported housing: not ready to move
• reduced preference for 12 months
• low housing need

Bedroom criteria

11.3.    Dorset Council shall when deciding if a person’s household is overcrowded, for the purpose of determining the priority they should be afforded, make an assessment against the UK Government’s Bedroom Standard, which allows a separate bedroom each for:

• any Adult couple
• any remaining adult aged 21 years or over
• two males aged 10 to 20 years
• one male aged 10 to 20 years, and one male aged 9 years or under
• one male aged 10-20 years (if there are no males aged 0-9 years to pair with him)
• two females aged 10 to 20 years
• one female aged 10 to 20 years, and one female aged 9 years or under
• one female aged 10-20 years (if there are no females aged 0-9 years to pair with her)
• two children regardless of sex aged 9 years or under
• any remaining child aged 9 years or under

11.4.    Dorset Council shall when deciding if a person’s household is under-occupied, for the purpose of determining the priority they should be afforded, make an assessment against the UK Government’s Local Housing Allowance bedroom criteria, which allows a separate bedroom each for:

• any adult/couple
• any person aged 16 years or over
• two children of the same sex aged 15 years or under
• two children aged 9 years or under
• any other child
• a member of a couple who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
• a child who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
• a foster child (if a person is an approved foster parent)
• a non-resident carer providing overnight care to a person or a member of their household (one room is allowed, regardless of the number of carers who stay overnight).

11.5.    Dorset Council shall when allocating a home, use the UK Government’s Local Housing Allowance bedroom criteria, to decide the number of bedrooms a person (taking account of who is usually a member of their household) requires. The following types of homes will be allocated to people with the following bedroom need:

Bedsit

• any adult/couple or
• any person aged 16 years or over

One-bedrooms

• any adult/couple or
• any person aged 16 years or over

Two-bedrooms

• any adult/couple with any one of the following:
  • any person aged 16 years or over
  • two children of the same sex aged 15 years or under
  • two children aged 9 years or under
  • any other child
  • a member of a couple who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a child who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a foster child
  • a non-resident carer providing overnight care to a person or a member of their household

Three bedrooms

• any adult/couple with any two of the following:
  • any person aged 16 years or over
  • two children of the same sex aged 15 years or under
  • two children aged 9 years or under
  • any other child
  • a member of a couple who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a child who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a foster child
  • a non-resident carer providing overnight care to a person or a member of their household

Four bedrooms

• any adult/couple with any three of the following:
  • any person aged 16 years or over
  • two children of the same sex aged 15 years or under
  • two children aged 9 years or under
  • any other child
  • a member of a couple who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a child who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a foster child
  • a non-resident carer providing overnight care to a person or a member of their household

Five bedrooms

• any adult/couple or
• any person aged 16 years or over with any four of the following:
  • two children of the same sex aged 15 years or under
  • two children aged 9 years or under
  • any other child
  • a member of a couple who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a child who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a foster child
  • a non-resident carer providing overnight care to a person or a member of their household

Six bedrooms

• any adult/couple with any five of the following:
  • any person aged 16 years or over
  • two children of the same sex aged 15 years or under
  • two children aged 9 years or under
  • any other child
  • a member of a couple who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a child who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
  • a foster child
  • a non-resident carer providing overnight care to a person or a member of their household

Quotas

11.6.    Dorset Council can set quotas to achieve a spread of allocations over the various needs’ factors. If Dorset Council chooses to set any quotes, shall make sure any waiting given, shall not give any lesser priority to people Bands One, Two and Three, than other people in Band Four.

11.7.    Quotas shall be based on information Dorset Council has gathered on housing need and demand in the Dorset Council area based on the profile of people on the housing register. Dorset Council shall consider:

1. The size and composition of the housing register, including the housing deeds people have, and
2. The profile of stock and vacancies which are likely to become available.

11.8.    If Dorset Council choose to set quotas, it shall avoid setting rigid quotas which cannot be amended quickly to reflect changing circumstances and shall make sure there is flexibility to continue meeting significant housing need when a quota has been reached.

10.9.     Dorset Council shall monitor who is being allocated properties and published information on performance against quota’s that have been set. Any quotas set, shall be published in an annual housing allocations plan, setting out the profile of properties which are expected to become available over the following year and the intention to distribute these properties between different people on the housing register this will be expressed as a percentage of all allocations.

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure for providing people a copy of this scheme and how people will be consulted when future amendments are made. It also explains Dorset Council’s use of guidance on the allocation of social rented housing, published by the UK, when making decisions about social housing allocations.

12.1.    Dorset Council shall publish a summary of this housing allocation scheme and provide a copy of the summary free of charge to any person who requests one. A copy of the summary is available to download from the housing allocation scheme website. Copies of the scheme summary can also be requested by contacting Dorset Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme.

12.2.    Dorset Council shall make available a full copy of this scheme for inspection at our office, County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ. Dorset Council shall, upon request from a person, provide a copy of the scheme, and payment of a reasonable fee to cover the cost of printing a copy. 

12.3.    Dorset Council shall regularly review and update this scheme. Dorset Council shall, before modifying this scheme, have regard to all relevant statute and local strategies and policies, including:

• Dorset’s current homelessness strategy
• Dorset’s current tenancy strategy

12.4.    Dorset Council shall, before making an alteration to the scheme which would be a major change of policy, send a copy of proposed alterations to every private registered provider of social housing, which own stock in the Dorset Council area and provide them with a reasonable opportunity to comment on the proposals.

12.5.    Dorset Council shall, when making a significant change to the scheme, which would affect a large number of people on the housing register, notify them of the change. Dorset Council shall, consult on changes to the scheme. Dorset Council shall engage with a wide range of stakeholders (e.g. health services, community justice services, voluntary organisations, etc), as well as people on the housing register, social housing tenants, the general public, anyone who is affected by or interested in the way social housing shall be allocated and anyone who is affected by or interested in the way Dorset Council shall allocate social rented housing. The approach taken to consultation will depend on the nature extent of the changes that are being proposed to be made. This might involve: 

• a small sounding board group of social housing tenants and people on the housing register
• a social housing tenant scrutiny panel
• surveys

12.6.    Dorset Council shall refer to statutory guidance published by the UK Government when reviewing and amending this housing allocation scheme, and when making decisions about housing allocation policy and practice.
 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure for working with private registered providers of social housing to nominate people from the housing register for a vacancy.

13.1.    Dorset Council shall work together with private register providers of social housing that own and manage stock in Dorset, to make best use of the available social housing in the local authority area. Dorset Council shall make requests to private registered providers of social housing, for them to offer an allocation of social housing to people on Dorset Council’s housing register. 

13.2.    Dorset Council shall comply with requirements set out in a nomination agreement with private registered providers of social housing, when making requests for social rented housing to be made available to persons from Dorset Council’s housing register. 

13.3.    Nomination agreements shall have clear aims and be based on a robust analysis of need and demand. Nomination agreements shall set out the proportion of letting that will be made available by private register providers of social housing that own or manage stock in Dorset, to Dorset Council. 

13.4.    Nomination agreements shall set out any criteria which has been adopted for accepting or rejecting nominations and how any disputes shall be resolved. 

13.5.    Dorset Council shall monitor and regularly review nomination agreements, to demonstrate that obligations are being met and to ensure they reflect changing needs and demand.

13.6.    Dorset Council shall, when making nominations to a private registered provider of social housing, make sure the details of a nominated person are accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date and in particular provide information about any vulnerability, support needs and arrangements for support, where this information is available. 

13.7.    Dorset Council shall also agree information sharing protocols with private register providers of social housing who own or manage stock in Dorset, covering issues such as rent arrears, antisocial behaviour and support needs.
 

This chapter explains Dorset Council’s procedure for when people applying for an allocation of social rented housing provide false statements and/or withhold information.

14.1.    Dorset Council shall consider, when a person knowingly or recklessly makes a false statement or knowingly withholds information that would be reasonable to provide on a housing register application, (including during review proceedings), as a reason for disqualification from joining the housing register. 

14.2.    Dorset Council shall look at the circumstances of each person rather than applying a blanket approach and whether to institute criminal proceedings against a person who has given false information or withheld information.

14.3.    Dorset Council shall take appropriate steps to vet employees who make decisions about the allocation of social rented housing or require some decisions to be validated by a senior member of staff, via a system of random checks, to minimise the risk of employees allocating incorrectly or potentially fraudulently.

This chapter explains the role of Dorset Council’s elected members in allocating of social rented housing

15.1.    Elected members of Dorset Council shall not be part of a decision-making body at the time an allocation decision is made, when either the accommodation concerned is situated in their electoral ward or the person subject to the decision has their sole or main residence there. 

15.2.    Elected members shall be permitted to represent their constituents in front of any decision-makers, such as seeking or providing information on behalf of their constituents, and be permitted to participate in the decision-makers deliberations prior to a decision. 

15.3.    Elected members shall not attempt to confer an advantage on any person seeking an allocation of social rented housing. Elected members shall ensure compliance with Dorset Council’s Code of Conduct and shall consider whether they are required to declare an interest before participating in such deliberations. Elected members shall seek obtain advice from Dorset Council’s Monitoring Officer, should there be any doubt. 

15.4.    Elected members shall be involved in policy decisions that affect the generality of social rented housing in the electoral ward.

15.5.    Elected members shall be responsible for determining allocation policies and monitoring the implementation of this housing allocation scheme, to ensure the operation of the scheme is open and accountable and systems are compliant with Dorset Council’s policy objectives.

This section shows the key definitions used in this policy.

Allocation

When Dorset Council nominates a person to be an assured tenant of accommodation held by a private registered provider of social housing.

Eligibility

The rules set out in UK immigration law, which Dorset Council must follow to check by the nationality which persons can and cannot be allocated social rented housing.

Qualification

The criteria Dorset Council has chosen to decide which persons are entitled to join its housing waiting list.

The housing register

The list of people to whom Dorset Council can allocate social rented housing.

Allocation scheme

The procedures (i.e. this document), Dorset Council follows when allocating social rented housing, which includes all aspects of the allocations processes and descriptions of persons who will make decisions.

Notifications

Decisions made by Dorset Council about a person’s application to join the housing register, including the extent of priority they are entitled to, or to remain on the housing register.

Review

A person’s right to ask Dorset Council to reconsider a decision made about their housing register application.

Review procedure

The rules Dorset Council shall follow when carrying out a review of a decision.

Case

The information held by Dorset Council about a person on the housing register.

Applications

The process people must follow when applying to join the housing register.

Choice

The way by which people can express a preference about the type of social rented housing they might be allocated.

Banding

The way Dorset Council prioritises people when selecting someone on the housing waiting list for an allocation of social rented housing.

Nominations

Arrangements held between Dorset Council and private registered providers of social rented housing for selecting a person on the housing register for a social rented home available to let.

Dorset Council

The area of the local authority district.

Private Registered Provider

Organisations that own social housing and are on the register of social landlords maintained by the Regulator of Social Housing and are regulated by it.

False statements

When a person knowingly and recklessly provides false materials when applying for an allocation of social rented housing, which is a criminal act.

Withholding information

When a person knowingly withholds information about the application for allocation of social rented housing, which is a criminal act.

Local lettings policy

A set of rules explaining how the usual rules for allocating social rented housing will be changed for particular types of homes, or particular locations of homes, or particular types of people.

Public portal

Online software system used by Dorset Council, which allows people to apply to join the housing register, view and express a preference for homes advertised as available to let, receive notifications of decisions, and more.

Law

Housing Act 1996 Part VI Allocation of Housing Accommodation

Statutory guidance

• Allocation of accommodation guidance for local authorities   
• Providing social housing for local people
• Right to move and social housing allocations
• Improving access to social housing for victims of domestic abuse
• Improving access to social housing for members of the armed forces

Regulations

• The Allocation of Housing Regulations 1996
• The Allocation of Housing (Procedure) Regulations 1997 
• The Allocation of Housing (England) Regulations 2000 
• The Allocation of Housing (England) Regulations 2002 
• The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006
• The Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Armed Forces) (England) Regulations 2012 
• The Housing Act 1996 Additional Preference for Armed Forces) (England) Regulations 2012
• The Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Right to Move) (England) Regulations 2015
• The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020
• The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) and Persons subject to Immigration Control (Housing Authority Accommodation and Homelessness) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
• The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

The following classes of persons, subject to satisfying a habitual residency test, will be eligible to join this Scheme:

• British citizens (constituting the nations of England, Scotland and Wales)
• Commonwealth citizens with a right of abode in the UK immediately before 01 January 1983 who have remained commonwealth citizens throughout (excluding non-British citizens from Pakistan and South Africa, but inclusive of citizens from Gambia and Zimbabwe)
• Irish citizens (constituting the nations of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland)
• EEA Nationals (other than those from Ireland) and their family members, who:
  • have acquired limited leave to enter and remain in the UK
  • were frontier working before 31 December 2020, or;
  • are lawfully residing in the UK by 31 December 2020, but still have to apply to, or acquire status under the EU Settlement Scheme before the deadline of 30 June 2021, and are covered by the “Grace Period statutory instrument”
• persons exempt from immigration control (e.g., diplomats and their family members based in the UK and some military personnel).
• persons granted refugee status by the UK Government
• persons granted exceptional or limited leave to enter or remain in the UK with condition that they and any dependents have resource to public funds (e.g: humanitarian or compassionate circumstances)
• persons with current leave to enter or remain in the UK with no condition or limitation, and who are habitually resident in the UK, The Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic or Irelands (defined as the Common Travel Area) (a person whose maintenance and accommodation is being sponsored must be resident in the Common Travel Area for five years since date of entry or date of sponsorship, unless the sponsor has died)
• persons who have humanitarian protection granted under the Immigration Rules (e.g., a person whose asylum application has failed, but they face real risk of harm if they returned to their state of origin)
• persons who moved to the UK as child seeking asylum and have been given limited leave to remain
• persons who have limited permission to enter or remain in the UK, from November 2018 onwards, due to Calais leave
• persons who have limited permission to enter or remain in the UK as the family member of a relevant persons of Northern Ireland
• persons who have leave to enter or remain in the UK under Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) of the Immigration Rules, and your leave is not subject to a condition requiring you to maintain and accommodate yourself or any person dependent upon you
• persons who are a relevant Afghan citizen, such as one who has worked for the UK government in Afghanistan
• persons who have permission to enter or remain in the UK and left Afghanistan in connection with the collapse of the Afghan government took place on 15 August 2021 and are allowed to claim housing and welfare assistance from the state
• persons who are currently living in the UK and previously was living in Ukraine before 1 January 2022 and left as a result of the Russian invasion which took place on 24 February 2022 and have arrived in the UK under the Ukraine family scheme or the homes for Ukraine scheme and have been granted leave to remain
• persons who are currently living in the UK and previously was living in Ukraine before 1 January 2022 and left as a result of the Russian invasion which took place on 24 February 2022 and have arrived in the UK under the Ukraine family scheme or the homes for Ukraine scheme and have been given limited leave to remain
• persons who have been granted limited leave to remain due to being a victim of human trafficking or slavery
• persons who were living in Sudan before 15 April 2023 and left as a result of conflict that commenced on 15 April 2023 and have been granted leave to remain and are allowed to claim housing and welfare assistance from the state and do not have a person that will sponsor your stay in the UK
• person who are EEA Nationals means nationals of any of the EU member states, and nationals of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. A list of countries in the EU and EEA can be found here
• even when an Applicant is eligible for an allocation of social rented housing, only those who are habitually resident in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Isle of Mann or the Channel Islands, will be eligible for an allocation (except persons which exempt from the requirement to be habitually resident, as defined in law or statutory guidance)
• applicants who are subject to immigration control or are an ineligible person from abroad will not be eligible for an allocation of social rented housing

Band One: people with an urgent housing need

Not intentionally homeless with priority need 

People who are owed a homelessness duty (by Dorset Council) under section 193(2), owed to persons with priority need who are not intentionally homeless, to ensure accommodation is available for occupation.

Urgent medical grounds 

People (or someone from their household) with urgent medical grounds, with a particular need for settled accommodation on medical grounds, due to:

• Condition is expected to be terminal and re-housing is required due to unsuitable accommodation or to provide a basis for the provision of suitable care; or
• Condition is life threatening and existing accommodation is a major contributory factor; or
• Planned discharge from hospital is imminent and there is no accommodation available that is reasonable to occupy. 
• Extensive adaptations are required.

UK Armed Forces community

People with who are members of the UK Armed Forces community, who are:

• Former members of the Regular Armed Forces (including those who are close to leaving or have recently left the Regular Armed Forces; or
• Serving in the Regular Armed Forces and are suffering from a serious injury, illness (including mental ill health) or disability which is wholly or partially attributable to the person’s service, including those who need to move to suitable adapted accommodation; or
• Serving or have served in the reserve forces and suffering from a serious injury, illness (including mental ill health) or disability which is wholly or partially attributable to the person’s service; or 
• Bereaved spouses of civil partners of those serving in the Regular Armed Forces where the bereaved spouses of civil partners have recently ceased, or will cease, to be entitled, to reside in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence following the death of their partner whose death was attributable (wholly or partially) to that service; or.

Domestic abuse

People who need to be rehoused as a result of domestic abuse, including those who have fled domestic abuse and are living in a refuge or other forms of temporary accommodation.

Urgent welfare grounds

People who need to be rehoused as a result of violence or threats of violence likely to be carried out, who are:

• Witnesses of crime, or victims of crime, who would be at risk of intimidation amounting to violence or threats of violence if they remained in their current home; or
• Escaping serious antisocial behaviour; or
• Hate incidents; or
• Harassment (e.g. racial, religious or sectarian, homophobic, transphobic, autistic people and people with a learning or physical disability).

Disaster/emergency

People who have lost their home as a result of a disaster, such as a fire, flood or other emergency.

Band Two: People with priority housing need

Homeless relief

People who are homeless owed the section 189(B)(2) initial (relief) duty (by Dorset Council). 

Under-occupying social rented housing

People who are tenants of a private registered provider that owns stock in Dorset, under-occupying their home (by the Local Housing Allowance size criteria) who wish to transfer to a smaller property.

Overcrowded by two or more bedrooms

People occupying overcrowded housing, by two bedrooms (by the Bedroom Standard criteria).

Foster carers/adopters and care leavers

People with a need for accommodation, who are:

• Foster carers and adopters, special guardians, and family and friend carers (who have taken on the care of a child because their parents are unable to provide care), who need a larger home in order to accommodate a looked after child, approved by or being assessed by Dorset Council, or:
  • eligible children
  • relevant children
  • former relevant children, and
  • former relevant children pursuing further education or training, entitled to care leaving support from Dorset Council

Insanitary and unsatisfactory housing conditions 

People occupying insanitary, or otherwise living in unsatisfactory housing conditions, for example due to:

1. Lacking bathroom or kitchen; or
2. Lacking inside WC; or
3. Lacking cold or hot water supplies, electricity, gas, or adequate heating; or
4. Sharing living room, kitchen, bathroom/WC with another household; or
5. Property in disrepair; or
6. Poor internal or external arrangements

Medical grounds

People who need to move on medical (including any grounds relating to a disability), due to:

1. A mental illness or disorder (including Armed Forces veterans with mental ill health; or
2. Chronic or progressive medical conditions (e.g. MS, HIV/AIDS); or
3. Infirmity due to old age; or
4. Need improved heating (on medical grounds); or
5. Need sheltered housing (on medical grounds); or
6. Need ground floor accommodation (on medical grounds); or
7. Need for adapted and/or extra care facilities, bedroom or bathroom housing (where a person’s existing home cannot be adapted due to the type of adaptations required, and/or the timescales involved to making adaptations, and/or the cost associated with making the adaptations); or
8. The need to move, following hospitalisation or long-term care; or
9. Moving on from a drug or alcohol recovery programme

Welfare grounds

People who need to move on welfare grounds, due to:

• a physical or learning disability or sensory impairment; or
• learning difficulties; or
• the need to give or receive care; or
• the need to recover from the effect of violence or threat of violence, or physical, emotional or sexual abuse (e.g. victims of domestic abuse); or
• the need to recover from the effects of racist incidents; or
• ability to fend for self, restricted for other reasons; or
• young people at risk (i.e. child(ren) in need, 16–17-year-olds, lone parents under 18); or
• people with behavioural difficulties; or
• need to be near friends/relatives; or
• being ready to make a planned move from supported housing (commissioned by Dorset Council), where they are provided with care, support or supervision in:
  • Resettlement accommodation; or
  • a managed property; or
  • a hostel for homeless people
• being vulnerable (e.g. having learning disabilities) and not expected to find their own accommodation, who wish to live independently in the community, with appropriate care and support.

Hardship 

People who need to move to a particular locality in the Dorset Council area , where failure to meet that need would cause hardship (to themselves or two others), for example due to accessing specialised medical treatment.

Giving up accessible housing 

People occupying accessible housing adapted for disabled people, who no longer require such accommodation and wish to move.

Band Three: Unmet housing need

Homeless

People who are experiencing homeless (within the meaning of Housing Act 1996 Part 7 Homelessness) within Dorset, that have either not made an application for homelessness assistance, have withdrawn their application for homelessness assistance, or any homelessness duty of assistance owed has ended, including people:

• with no fixed abode; or 
• living with friends; or
• rough sleeping; or
• homeless upon departure from prison

Homelessness prevention

People who are owed a homelessness duty (by Dorset Council) under section195(2), in cases of threatened homelessness, to take reasonable steps to help a person to ensure their accommodation does not to be available for their occupation.

Intentionally homeless

People who are owed a homelessness duty (by Dorset Council) under section 190(2), owed to persons becoming intentionally homeless, to ensure that accommodation is available for occupation for a reasonable period while a person finds accommodation to live in.

Homeless out-of-authority

People who are owed any homelessness duty by another local authority, who are occupying temporary accommodation (arranged by themselves or the local authority which owes them a homelessness duty) in Dorset.

Social tenants right to move for work

People who are a social housing tenant (of any English local authority or private registered provider) who (i) need to move to Dorset for work (including an apprenticeship) related reasons, and (ii) need to move because they work in Dorset, or (iii) need to move to take up an offer of work in Dorset and have a genuine intention to take up the offer, and (iv) the work is intended to last for more than 12 months, of 16 hours or more a week.

Overcrowded by one bedroom

People occupying overcrowded housing, by one bedroom (by the Bedroom Standard criteria).

UK Armed Forces community

People who are members of the UK Armed Forces community, who are:

• divorced or separated spouses or civil partners of Regular Armed Forces service personnel, who need to move out of accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence; or
• adult children of Regular Armed Forces service personnel, who may no longer be able to remain the family home. 

Band Four: general housing needs

Social tenants seeking transfer

People who are secure tenants of a private registered provider in Dorset Council area who are seeking a transfer, and who are not entitled to a reasonable preference for an allocation of social rented housing (i.e., they would not be placed in any of the above bands). 

Need for older person housing

People aged 55 years or over requiring older persons housing.

Supported housing: not ready to move

People not ready to make a planned move from supported housing (commissioned by Dorset Council), where they are provided with care, support or supervision in:

• resettlement accommodation; or
• a managed property; or
• a refuge for people who have left their home as a result of domestic abuse; or
• a hostel for homeless people

Reduced preference for 12 months

People who have had their preference for an allocation reduce for a specified reason for a 12 months due to refusing a limit of nominations.to properties that would been have reasonable to accept.

Low housing need

Any other person who is eligible for an allocation of social rented housing and qualifies to join the housing register.

• Abbeyfield Wessex Society Limited
• Abri Group Limited
• Advance Housing and Support Limited
• Anchor Hanover Group
• Aster 3 Limited
• Aster Communities
• Auckland home solutions CIC
• Bespoke Supportive Tenancies Limited
• Bournemouth Churches Housing Association Limited
• Charity of Jonathan & Rebecca Edwards
• Chrysalis Supported Association Limited
• Dimensions (UK) Limited
• Dorchester Almshouses
• East Boro Housing Trust Limited
• Empower Housing Association Limited
• Falcon Housing Association CIC
• First Priority Housing Association Limited
• Golden Lane Housing Limited
• Hastoe Housing Association Limited
• Hilldale Housing Association Limited
• Housing 21
• Inclusion Housing CIC
• LiveWest Homes Limited
• Magna Housing Limited
• Moat Homes Limited
• Municipal & Owen Carter Almshouses Limited
• Parasol Homes Limited
• Places for People Homes Limited
• Reside Housing Association Limited
• Sage Homes RP Limited
• Sage Rented Limited
• Sanctuary Housing Association
• Sandbourne Housing Association
• Sovereign Housing Association Limited
• Stonewater (5) Limited
• Stonewater Limited
• Sturts Community Trust
• Synergy Housing Limited
• Teachers Housing Association Limited
• The Abbeyfield (Weymouth) Society Limited
• The Abbeyfield Society
• The Almshouses of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist
• The Guinness Partnership Limited
• The Margaret Jane Ashley Almshouse Charity
• The Swaythling Housing Society Limited
• Tregonwell Almshouse Trust
• Westmoreland Supported Housing Limited
• Willow Tree Housing Partnership Limited
• Windrush Alliance UK Community Interest Company