Does the council have to help me if I am homeless or threatened with homelessness?
Under law, before the council is obliged to help you it has to decide whether you are legally homeless or threatened with homelessness, and whether:
- You are eligible for assistance. For example you may not be eligible if you are returning to the UK from abroad or if you are an Asylum Seeker, and
- You have not made yourself homeless. For example, if you have been evicted because of rent arrears, the arrears were caused by real financial difficulties and not because you mismanaged your money, and
- You are in priority need. This usually means people who are: pregnant, with dependent children, aged 16-17, some 18-21 care leavers, and people who are unable to remain in their home because of a fire or flood. You can also be in priority need if you are particularly vulnerable and this could include older people, disabled people, victims of violence or domestic violence, people leaving prison, hospital, armed forces etc, and
- You have a local connection. For example you have relatives in the area or you already live and / or work there.
You normally have to fit all the criteria to be eligible for re-housing.
How do I apply to the council as a homeless person?
Manchester City Council offers an emergency service to people who are homeless. You will need to go to one of the homelessness offices (external website) and make an application.
You may have to wait until an assessment officer becomes available to interview you. During the interview the assessment officer will ask you questions about your housing situation past and present.
What happens after the interview?
The officer will let you know what the council can do to assist you.
If the council has a legal duty to re-house you, you should be provided with temporary accommodation until a home is found for you. If there is no legal duty to re-house you, you should be given information on how to find a home yourself.
If the council cannot make a decision there and then, you may be provided with temporary accommodation until a decision is made. When this happens, you will receive a letter with the details. If the council decides you are not homeless, you should be given a reasonable amount of time to stay in the temporary accommodation to enable you to find alternative accommodation.
The council has told me I have no local connection to Manchester
If you have a local connection (external website) to another council area eg Oldham, Bury etc, Manchester may provide you with temporary accommodation and then ask the other council to take over the responsibility of assisting you. If you have no connection anywhere, or it is not safe for you to return to your local area (i.e. you are fleeing domestic or other violence), then Manchester council may take responsibility for re-housing you.
I don't agree with the council's decision. What can I do?
You have the right to request a review of the decision. You need to do this within 21 days of receiving the decision or the council does not have to look at it again. You can ask for a review by telephoning the office that made the decision, however it is always best to request a review in writing.
Once you request a review, the council may provide you with temporary accommodation while the review is going ahead. However, it does not have to do this, if it believes you can find your own accommodation.
You need to provide the council with the reasons why you believe their decision is wrong. You have a limited time in which to do this. Get help from an independent Housing Adviser with this (find details on the Advice Agency Search).
If you have requested a review, and you are unhappy with the decision made by the review officer, you have the right to appeal the decision to the County Court. However, you can only do this if you think the council has made a wrong decision on a point of law. You have a very short period of time from receiving a review decision in writing to starting an appeal and as this is a complicated legal process, you will need assistance from either an advice centre or a solicitor.
What kind of housing will the council provide?
It is likely that you will, initially, be placed in temporary accommodation until such time as permanent accommodation has been identified for you.
Temporary accommodation could be in a hostel, shared house, or a house or flat for bigger families. It is difficult to say how long you will stay in the temporary accommodation until you are re-housed.
Information on other websites
Adviceguide (Citizens Advice website)
General information about homelessness
Shelter
Rights for homeless people
Need more help? Live in Manchester? Send us an email
Information Provider:
Manchester Advice
Date Reviewed:
14 October 2008
This information is for guidance only and is not an authoritative statement on the law. Please read our Terms and Conditions.
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