How we prioritise applications
Your application will be assessed and placed in one of the following bands, depending on your housing need:
Band A – emergency housing need to move
Band B – urgent housing need to move
Band C – medium housing need to move
Band D – low housing need to move
Within these bands, priority will be determined by the date your application was placed in a particular band. If you had a live application on our previous Housing Register and you re-registered within the timeframes required, you’ll keep the priority date you were given under the old system.
For example, if you had an application under the old system that had been live since 1 April 2018, this will remain your priority date. If you are subsequently assessed into a higher band, your priority date will change to the date you were placed in the higher band.
You will only be able to move between bands if there is a change to your circumstances and new supporting evidence is provided.
Applications with no housing need won’t be eligible to join the Housing Register.
| Band A - Emergency need to move |
| Medical Grounds |
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Unable to continue to occupy your current accommodation due to severe or life threatening medical need or disability recommended by your GP, hospital consultant or other qualified health practitioner |
| Armed Forces Criteria |
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Serious injury, medical condition or disability sustained as a result of service in the Armed Forces |
| Recently ceased to be entitled to reside in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence, following the death of your spouse or civil partner who served in the regular forces and whose death was attributable (wholly or partly) to that service |
| Under Occupancy |
| Social tenant who has agreed to downsize by two bedrooms or more |
| Management Transfer |
| RP Management transfer on a like for like basis in accordance with RP's policy |
| Release of Adapted Property |
| Social tenant who has agreed to transfer to a non-adapted property |
| Succession |
| Where a succession has been agreed and the succeeding tenant has agreed to move into smaller accommodation |
| Domestic Abuse, Fear of Violence, Witness Protection |
| Fleeing domestic abuse or other forms of violence assessed by relevant agencies as being in immediate danger and need to move urgently for the safety of themselves and any dependent children |
| Statutory Notices |
| Where a tenant occpies a rented property where a Prohibition Order has been served or other statutory notice requiring an immediate move due to safety risks |
| Decants |
| Property is subject to major works or demolition or Compulsory Purchase Order for redevelopment by RP |
| Band B - Urgent need to move |
| Medical Grounds |
| Current housing conditions exacerbates a serious medical condition or disability |
| Overcrowding by 2 bedrooms or more |
| Severely overcrowded defined as being either statutory overcrowded or requiring 2 or more additional bedrooms to reach the bedroom standard |
| Move on from Care |
| A former 'Relevant Child' as defined by the Children Leaving Care Act 2002 at risk of homelessness confirmed by leaving care service in West Berkshire Council |
| Under Occupancy |
| Social tenant who has agreed to downsize by one bedroom |
| Unsatisfactory housing conditions |
| Occupies a private sector property that has multiple Category 1 Hazards (excluding overcrowding) under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) that cannot be resolved within 6 months and there is a serious risk to the occupant's health |
| Foster Carers |
| To enable fostering or adoption by West Berkshire residents where agreement has been reached to provide long term accommodation on the recommendation of the Head of Children and Family Services and agreed by the Housing Serices Manager |
| Band C - Medium need to move |
| Applicants owed a statutory homeless duty |
| Verified rough sleeper in West Berkshire and meets the local connection rules |
| The full housing duty under section 193 |
| The prevention of homelessness duty under section 195(2) |
| The relief of homelessness duty under section 189B(2) |
| The intentionally homeless temporary accommodation duty to provide reasonable opportunity to find alternative accommodation (section 190(2) duty) |
| Domestic Abuse |
| Fleeing domestic abuse assessed by MARAC (or any subsequent multi agency arrangement) as needing to move but not in immediate danger |
| Need to move for reasons of welfare |
| High social/welfare needs identified by an external agency |
| Applicants who need to move closer to relatives in order to give or receive care or support that has been assessed as being essential and where moving would prevent significant physical and/or psychological hardship |
| Need to access specialist facilities in the district (eg specialist school) identified and approved by an external agency |
| Note: not every circumstance can be captured so the policy sets examples of welfare circumstances that may be awareded Band C prriority under this category. Whether the award is granted will be determined by the assessing officer, manager or panel |
| Move on from supported housing |
| Is ready to move on from supported to independent housing. Ongoing support needs have been assessed and there is a support plan in place |
| Keyworkers |
| Keyworkers as defined by the Thames Valley LEP data source who have a housing need. Check our FAQs for more information on accepted keyworker occupations |
| Armed Forces |
| Divorced or separated spouse or civil partner of Service personnel who need to move out of accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence |
| Band D - Low need to move |
| Overcrowding and insecure accommodation arrangement |
| Sharing with family or others who are not part of their household but not statutorily overcrowded |
| Overcrowding and secure accommodation arrangement |
| Lacking one bedroom in own rented accommodation but not statutorily overcrowded, ie requiring one additional bedroom to reach the bedroom standard |
| Right to Move |
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Existing social tenants of accommodation in England who wish to exercise their Right to Move (under the Government's RIght to Move regulations) to a social tenancy in West Berkshire. Allocations to applicants who quliafy is limited to a maximum of 1% of properties allocated each year, amounting to an estimated 4 properties per year |