- If i go into temporary or emergency accommodation, will I be awarded additional points and get a property quicker?
- I have been served with a notice in my private rented accommodation, will you contact my landlord to discuss this?
- I don’t like the private rented accommodation that I live in, I am going to ask the landlord to serve me with a notice so that I can apply to the council for accommodation, am I okay to do this?
- Can I pick where I want to live?
- I only want a Council property and won’t consider any other types of accommodation, am I okay to do this?
- I feel like I need support when I move into my new tenancy, can you help with this?
- My landlord won’t complete any repairs at my property, I don’t want to live here anymore, can I present as homeless?
- I don’t have a connection to the Wigan area, but I am homeless and would like to live in Wigan, can I present to your authority?
- I would like to look for private rented accommodation, but I am struggling to pay the deposit to secure this accommodation, can you help me with this?
- I am currently sofa surfing between family and friends, I always have options, but I don’t want to keep doing this, can I be placed into a hotel instead?
- I have been offered temporary accommodation in a dispersed council property at the other side of the borough, I have heard that people are being placed into hotels instead, can I choose to go into a hotel instead of this accommodation?
- I have been asked to provide my income and expenditure, why do I have to provide this?
- I live with my parents, but they have asked me to move out because we are not getting on, will you need to speak to them?
- I have been offered a property, however another property has since come out to advert so I want to refuse this one and see if I am offered the other property, as I would prefer this property, can I do this?
- I don't get along with my neighbours, they are causing me a lot of stress and I don't want to live here anymore as I don't feel safe, can you help me?
- I have joint access for my daughter, my partner receives child benefit, and she stays with her most of the week, but will be staying overnight when I find my own accommodation, can I bid for a council house on the waiting list?
If i go into temporary or emergency accommodation, will I be awarded additional points and get a property quicker?
You won’t receive any additional points for going into temporary or emergency accommodation and this does not mean that you will get a property quicker. You may in fact lose points, if you have points for overcrowding in your current accommodation but then go into temporary or emergency accommodation you are likely to lose your overcrowding points.
I have been served with a notice in my private rented accommodation, will you contact my landlord to discuss this?
Yes, our role is to try and prevent you from becoming homeless. This will include contacting your landlord to try and negotiate them allowing you to stay in your current property. We also need to establish the reasons as to why the notice has been served, if the notice has been served for breaching your tenancy agreement this may impact on the overall homeless duties that are owed to you and any priority on the council waiting list.
I don’t like the private rented accommodation that I live in, I am going to ask the landlord to serve me with a notice so that I can apply to the council for accommodation, am I okay to do this?
If you ask for your notice, we will contact your landlord to discuss this and ask if the notice can be retracted. If you decide to make yourself homeless, we may still owe you a duty to help take reasonable steps to help secure alternative accommodation, however this will only be a short-term duty and you are unlikely to be awarded priority on the waiting list, you will be supported to find alternative private rented accommodation. A decision is also likely to be made under homeless legislation that you are intentionally homeless, and no long-term duties will be owed to you.
Can I pick where I want to live?
Whilst the Council operates a Choice Based Lettings system, the requirements under homeless legislation are different. We will try accommodating people in their areas of choice where possible, however there are over 14,000 applicants on the council waiting list and over 900 homeless applicants. If you are homeless, you are classed as being in “Urgent Housing Need” and you will be expected to consider several areas, we can also nominate you for properties that you may not have bid on, and if this offer is suitable and you refuse the offer without good reason, we may discharge our homeless duty towards you. An offer can also be a Private Rented property, it does not have to be a council property. You do not get 3 refusals of offers under Homeless legislation.
I only want a Council property and won’t consider any other types of accommodation, am I okay to do this?
Our duty under homelessness is not to secure you a council property but to resolve your homelessness. There is not enough council stock to solely rely on this and you will be expected to look for other housing options including private rented accommodation. If you are not willing to consider other options, this may mean that our duty towards you is ended – it is important that you are actively looking at all accommodation options.
I feel like I need support when I move into my new tenancy, can you help with this?
We want to make sure that you can sustain your new tenancy and there are support agencies that we can either signpost you to or complete a referral on your behalf, making sure that you receive the right support that you need.
My landlord won’t complete any repairs at my property, I don’t want to live here anymore, can I present as homeless?
If you are struggling to get your landlord to cooperate with completing repairs to your property you can seek advice on Private Renting Reporting Repairs. There are teams that can support you with those issues, it would only be cases involving health and safety issues which may deem a property inhabitable which may mean that you can present as homeless. Our role would be to try and help you safely return to your property by working with the landlord to facilitate this.
I don’t have a connection to the Wigan area, but I am homeless and would like to live in Wigan, can I present to your authority?
Yes, you can present to any authority you wish however it is important to understand that if you do not have a connection to that authority, whilst they will offer you a homeless assessment, they may then decide to apply to transfer your case to the authority where you do have a connection. If the referral is accepted, your case will be closed with the first authority that you presented to.
I would like to look for private rented accommodation, but I am struggling to pay the deposit to secure this accommodation, can you help me with this?
Wigan Council offers the Deposit Assistance Scheme which allows you to make an application for a non-cash deposit to your new landlord. If you are homeless there may be further assistance that can be provided to help secure private rented accommodation depending on your personal circumstances.
I am currently sofa surfing between family and friends, I always have options, but I don’t want to keep doing this, can I be placed into a hotel instead?
Our emergency accommodation is available for those that are rough sleeping and hotel isn’t offered to everyone as a matter of course. If you are rough sleeping or at significant risk of doing so after all other options have been exhausted, we may be able to offer you a bed at our ABEN “A bed for every night” facility. This does not mean an offer in a hotel.
I have been offered temporary accommodation in a dispersed council property at the other side of the borough, I have heard that people are being placed into hotels instead, can I choose to go into a hotel instead of this accommodation?
We have limited options for temporary accommodation and any hotel placement will always be a last resort. If we have other options available to you, this will be offered first and if refused, no further accommodation will be offered. There isn’t a choice between dispersed accommodation and hotel.
I have been asked to provide my income and expenditure, why do I have to provide this?
You will need to provide this information as part of your homeless assessment, which may include bank statements and proof of benefits/wages. If you are homeless and in the need for alternative accommodation, we will initially look to help you secure private rented accommodation and an affordability assessment will be completed to ensure that this is affordable. Likewise, if you have become homeless due to affordability, we will need to complete this assessment to check that the property isn’t affordable.
I live with my parents, but they have asked me to move out because we are not getting on, will you need to speak to them?
Yes, with any homeless presentation we must have reason to believe that you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless within 56 days. As part of the initial investigation to your presentation we will contact all parties involved and ask them to confirm that you are being asked to leave, we will also try and mediate between family and friends to keep you in the property. If you refuse to provide those details without good reason to allow us to speak to your parents, we won’t be able to take a homeless presentation.
I have been offered a property, however another property has since come out to advert so I want to refuse this one and see if I am offered the other property, as I would prefer this property, can I do this?
Under homeless legislation you will only receive one offer of suitable accommodation, sadly you won’t be able to refuse this offer on the basis that a different property has now become available. The demand on social housing is extremely high and if you are successful in receiving an offer of a council property it is important that you accept this offer, as you are unlikely to receive a further offer of accommodation.
I don't get along with my neighbours, they are causing me a lot of stress and I don't want to live here anymore as I don't feel safe, can you help me?
If you are fleeing violence or harassment from your home then you may be supported by the homeless team, but this would only be in circumstances where this is significant risk of harm. There are other teams such as the Community Resilience Team at Wigan Council or the police who may be able to help keep you safe in your home, and as part of our assessment of the risk to you, we will contact those agencies to see how they can support you and for assistance in assessing the level of risk. We appreciate that neighbours may not get along and relationships can become difficult and strained and whilst a move may benefit your situation, it does not mean that this will be supported as an urgent move under homelessness.
I have joint access for my daughter, my partner receives child benefit, and she stays with her most of the week, but will be staying overnight when I find my own accommodation, can I bid for a council house on the waiting list?
In cases of separated or divorced parents, Wigan Council will decide on a case-by-case basis, which parent has the main caring responsibility for the children. Evidence will be required to demonstrate residence and access arrangements and/or any court orders. Applicants who have the main caring responsibility for children will be entitled to bid for a house. Applicants who have access to children but who do not have the main caring responsibility may bid for flats with one or more bedrooms but will not be eligible for a house.