Torfaen

Who Can Use the Service

Anyone who has been accepted onto the Homeseeker housing register is able to use the service to apply for properties across the partnership.

To apply to join the Housing Register you must be over 16 years of age.

You will need to complete an application form, which can be obtained from this website or at the Council's Customer Care Centres and at our housing partners offices. The application form enables you to apply for an affordable rented home and also register interest in the assisted home ownership schemes developed in conjunction with our partners. For details on how to contact us and our opening hours click How to Contact Us.
 
Along with your application form you will be asked to provide the following documents:

• Proof of identity for all household members (e.g. passports, birth certificates)
• Proof of current address (e.g. recent gas or electricity bill)
• Evidence of your right to reside in the UK if you are not a British Citizen
  (e.g. passport and other relevant documents from the Home Office)

Before you are offered a property by one of our partners you may be asked to provide further documents to support your application. We will tell you what documents to provide and when to provide them.

All documents provided must be up to date and valid.

If you do not fill in the application form properly it will be returned to you. The date of acceptance will be from the date it is fully completed and registered on our systems.

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 other than bronze. Once the documents are received your application will be assessed and placed in the appropriate band from the date the documents were received. Click Prioritising Applications for more details on our banding scheme.

Who cannot use the service?

You cannot use this service if you have not completed an application form and been accepted onto the housing register.

There are also some people who will by law not be eligible to join the housing register. These are:

• Certain people who are subject to Immigration Control under the 1996 Asylum and Immigration Act
• Certain people from abroad who are not subject to immigration control but who are not habitually resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland
• People (including members of their household) who have been guilty of unacceptable behaviour that makes them unsuitable to be a tenant.

RECENT INFORMATION SENT TO ALL OUR CURRENT APPLICANTS

Information to all Homeseeker Applicants

We have indentified a number of common questions raised by applicants. Below are answers to a number of questions, should you need further clariffication, please contact us.

What can I apply for?

You can generally apply for any advertised property as long as you meet the bedroom eligibility criteria regardless to the band in which it is advertised. There are some exceptions, such as properties advertised for the disabled or a housing provider has requested an age eligibility to apply. The priority bands Gold 1, Gold 2, Silver and Bronze tell you what category of applicant will be considered first. If we receive no bids within a band or an applicant is not considered for other reasons we will consider applications from other bands in descending priority order.

Example a 3-bedroom house advertised in Gold 1 will mean those who meet the bedroom criteria and are in Gold 1 would be considered ahead of applicants holding Gold 2, Silver and Bronze. If no one is eligible in Gold 1, Gold 2 would be considered then Silver then Bronze until a correct match is made – So if you wish to apply for a property outside of your band and you are eligible – Please apply, you never know.

Why have I lost my Gold 1 or Gold 2 priority and been reduced to Silver?

Gold 1 and Gold 2 applicants are given the highest preference ahead of Silver and Bronze because they have an evidenced high housing need or we have a legal responsibility. With this preference comes a responsibility that Gold 1 & 2 applicants will do their best to resolve their current housing issues by applying for a suitable range of properties to be re-housed as soon as possible. Currently around 80% of all properties are advertised in the Gold bands.

The majority of Gold applicants are using this to their advantage; however, there are a number of applicants who are not applying at every opportunity and this is unfair to other applicants who are patiently waiting.

Each priority award lasts 13 weeks and we are monitoring applicants who we consider are not using this priority properly (dependant upon the circumstances priority was awarded) and should you be one of these applicants you can expect us to either telephone you or visit your home around the 8 week period to ask why you are not applying, if after 13 weeks we consider you have not taken reasonable steps in your applications your priority will be reduced to Silver band. There is an Appeals process should this occur.

Why does my position change?

Homeseeker allows you to track your current live position right up until the close of the advert for each property you apply for and places you in a current position in relation to other eligible applicants also applying for that property. Position is dependant on your band status and the date this was awarded, i.e. if someone has the same band as you, is eligible but has been waiting longer; they will be ranked ahead of you. This information allows you either to remain interested or to withdraw your bid and apply for other properties that may be more advantageous to you.

How are properties let?

You will notice that when applying for properties the landlord’s name/logo is present in the property box. At the close of the advert, each landlord will have access to the applicants who have applied for their properties in order of the band it was advertised in. Landlords will then use this information to contact eligible applicants in consideration of making an offer subject to their letting processes.

What does maximising occupancy mean?

Due to the number of households seeking housing (currently around 3,400), some landlords will in accordance to their current letting procedures maximise applications to utilise all the property bedrooms to reduce property under occupation. This will not apply to all properties, but where it does, this will be clearly labelled within the advertising detail on each advert.

How is medical priority assessed?

Some people cannot remain in their current home due to an illness and/or disability that makes the current home unsuitable and they need to move. In order for us to assess each case on an individual basis, we use and pay for an independent medical assessment service called Now Medical where qualified medical practitioners use the information provided by you via a questionnaire and details from your GP or other medical practitioner to assess whether due to your medical condition the current home is unsuitable.

They make a recommendation to us and we use this information to make a decision to award (or not) medical priority. If we do not award priority, you may Appeal providing additional medical evidence is submitted. If following this process you continue to disagree, we will not undertake a further assessment and you will need to seek independent advice or pay Homeseeker £25 for each additional assessment.

How are other priorities awarded?

All priorities within the Homeseeker high housing need bands (Gold 1 or 2) are evidenced prior to an award being given and we use the date priority was awarded as your effective date of registration which may differ from your registration date as priority could have been awarded after you originally applied.

E.g. an applicant was awarded Bronze band on 01/01/2002, their circumstances have now changed and have been placed in Gold 1 following a successful medical assessment by Now Medical on 03/08/09. Their priority in Gold Band 1 would be from 03/08/09 to reflect the correct priority date following assessment.

We trust you find this information helpful, if you have any questions please contact us on 01495 742400. We wish you every success in your application.

The Homeseeker Team

For more detailed information contact our Homeseeker Team at homeseeker@torfaen.gov.uk