Homeless appointments and emergency Interviews
If you are asking the council to help you because you are homeless or threatened with homelessness you must give us the documents listed below.
We do not accept photocopies. We must see original documents.
1. Photographic evidence
Passport sized photographs of all the adults you want to include in the application.
2.To prove that you are homeless or threatened with homelessness
a. If you are staying with a friend or relative who has asked you to leave
- You must provide a letter from them giving you notice including a date that you must leave by (28 days is considered to be reasonable notice). The letter must be signed, dated and show the address and phone number of the host.
- You must provide a document that proves that the person who has asked you to leave owns or rents that property, such as a mortgage paper or tenancy agreement.
b. If you are renting privately and being told to leave
- You must provide your first and most recent tenancy agreements and the possession order from the court and any other relevant documents.
c. Customers who are homeless for other reasons
- You must provide as much evidence as possible as to why you feel threatened with homelessness. Some examples of evidence include court summons, Possession Orders/Bailiffs Warrants, Notices to Quit, Environmental Health notices.
3. For every adult and child over the age of 16
a. Proof of identity (must include one item of photo ID)
For each adult we need:
- full size birth certificate
- current passport or travel document
- NHS medical card
b. Proof of where you have lived in the last 5 years
This means an official document for each person for each year with the name, address and date on for every single address held. For example:
- letters from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)
- NHS medical cards
- letters from council tax
- letters from housing benefit
- letters from banks and building societies
- letters from employers
- letters from the Benefits Agency
Other official documents may also be accepted such as bills, invoices or marriage certificates. It is better to provide too much rather than too little.
c. Proof of marriage, separation or divorce
If you are married we need to see your marriage certificate. If you are separated or divorced we need the legal papers.
4. For each child aged 18 or under we need all of the following
- child Benefit award letter or proof of payment going into an account
- NHS medical card
- full size birth certificate
- any custody or residence orders or court papers
- details of schools or colleges they attend
5. If anyone in your application is pregnant
We need one of these documents to show the expected date of delivery or confinement:
- maternity certificate
- antenatal notes
- a letter signed by the doctor or midwife
6. Proof of income and savings for each adult
- Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) letters for all benefits received by the household or proof of the benefit being paid into a bank account
- for anyone who does paid work we require the last five wage or salary slips if you are paid weekly or the last two if you are paid monthly.
- for anyone who is self-employed we need to see the certified accounts as supplied to the Inland Revenue
- the last 3 month’s statements for all bank and building society accounts
- books or certificates relating to all savings accounts held
- share certificates
- proof of all other savings of any sort
7. Medical conditions
If you are applying as homeless on medical grounds, or if you feel that you or anyone included in your application needs a special type of housing due to medical conditions, please ask us for a medical self-assessment form. We may need to see further information from your medical specialist at a later point.
8. Has anyone in your application come to the UK from abroad?
If anyone included in your application has moved to this country from abroad, proof must be provided of his or her immigration status such as:
- passports
- travel documents, SAL forms, IS96 letters
- Worker’s Registration Scheme letters or cards
- letters from the home office including decision letters
Email this pageLast modified by: Victoria Blyth on 02/03/2009