Doncaster

Who Can Use the Service

Doncaster HomeChoice operates an open registration scheme.  This means that any person over the age of 16, regardless of tenure or financial circumstances can apply to be placed on the housing register provided they do not fall within one of the exceptions described below.  This includes anybody living within the Common Travel Area (which includes the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland).  

You will need to complete an application form, which can be done on line or a paper application form can be obtained from any St Leger Homes of Doncaster area office. The application form enables you to apply for a Council House or for you to be nominated for a Housing Association rented home, shared ownership home or for you to mutual exchange with another tenant.
 
Along with your application form you will be asked to provide the following documents:

• Three forms of identification, one of which shows your current address, one with the applicants signature and one which confirms your National Insurance number;
• Any evidence in support of priority for any band apart from the Bronze band;
• If necessary, papers from the Border and Immigration Agency. 

All documents provided must be originals, up to date and valid.

If you do not fill in the application form correctly we may not be able to register you but we will contact you for more information. The registration date will be the date the complete form is received.

If you do not provide us with the documents required your application may be accepted onto the housing register but will not be awarded any priority and will be placed in the Bronze band. Once the documents are received your application will be assessed and placed in the appropriate band from the date the documents were received. An application will remain inactive until we receive all the information we require to complete a full assessment.  This means that you cannot bid on a property during this period.

Who cannot register?

People subject to immigration control as described by the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 are not eligible for an allocation of social housing. 

Therefore, any person who does not fall into one of the categories below is subject to immigration control and not eligible for an allocation of social housing;

• A British citizen;
• A commonwealth citizen who has the right of abode in the United Kingdom;
• A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes all EU countries.

People from the EEA who do not have a right to reside in the UK, people from the ‘A8’ EU states who are not a worker or have not been working continuously for twelve months.

Although not necessarily subject to immigration control, some EU nationals are not eligible for an allocation of housing.  Those EU nationals who do not have a right to reside in the UK, largely because they are not a worker eligible for an allocation.

People from the ‘A8’ EU states (Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic) can only gain the status of worker once they have worked in the UK continuously for twelve months.  If this is not the case, they are not eligible for an allocation of housing.

People who are not habitually resident in the United Kingdom

Anyone who has lived outside the British Isles in the last five years is subject to the habitual residence test unless they are exempt because they are classed as a worker or because they are a refugee.  If an applicant fails the habitual residence test they are not eligible for registration on to the waiting list.

Risk and needs assessment

Before being made the offer of a tenancy, all applicants will be interviewed in order to verify the information on their application and to see whether they have any support needs.  This will enable us to look at putting in place support mechanisms before a tenancy is started.  If at this point we find that an applicant has provided incorrect information or has failed to declare any information which is relevant to their application with us, they may be removed from the register if they are not eligible or suspended if they fall under the criteria for suspending applicants from the register.    

Risk assessments may also be carried out on applicants found guilty of certain criminal offences. 

Decisions about managing any risks associated with an applicants release from prison into the community, will involve multi-agency arrangements with the police, probation services, social services, health professionals and other relevant bodies.

What happens if false information is provided?

It is very important to supply the correct information as any applicant seeking to obtain accommodation by making a false statement, by withholding relevant information or by failing to tell the Doncaster HomeChoice about any material change in circumstances, commits a criminal offence and is liable to have their application cancelled.  If the applicant has been allocated a property in these circumstances then court action to evict the tenant will be considered.