Birmingham City Council

 

Processing your application

When your application is complete, or is submitted to be verified, it will be looked at and assessed by officers.  During this assesment it is important that you provide any supporting information if asked for by the officers assessing.  You will not be able to edit your application when it been sent across for assessment. 

During the assessment the information you have provided will be verified and this will support the decision made.  Once an assessment has been completed you will receive confirmation by email.  

We aim to assess your application in 6 weeks.  You can log in to your on-line account to view the status of your application and we will inform you of the outcome of your application by email. 

Not everyone will qualify to join the Council’s housing register.  Applicants will be asked to provide certain documents to confirm that they are eligible and qualify for housing.  If they are unable to provide the documents needed their application will not be accepted. Reasons for not qualifying include:

 

Unacceptable behaviour or actions

People (including members of their household) who have been guilty of unacceptable behaviour that makes them unsuitable to be a tenant.

 

No assessed housing need:

Applicants who do not have an identified housing need (or priority) will not normally qualify for social housing.

 

Asset/income threshold:

Household income and assets will be taken into consideration.  Customers at or above the income or assets threshold will not normally qualify for social housing.  Customers who own their homes in the UK or abroad, or with savings over the threshold (consistent with the Government’s upper limit for savings set out in the common rules of the DWP Benefit and Pension Rates), are also unlikely to qualify for social housing, unless there is an exceptional need.

 

No local connection to Birmingham:

With the exception of Armed Forces personnel, any customer will be required to have a local connection to Birmingham in order to qualify for social housing.  

 

Incapable in law of holding a legal tenancy

If the applicant is unable by law to hold a tenancy they will not normally qualify for social housing unless:

• They are in the care of the Council, or a care leaver

• They are a child in need as a result of a statutory assessment

• They are owed a full statutory homeless duty following a statutory assessment

• They have an adult or adults who will act as a trustee(s) for them and hold a legal tenancy until the legal incapacity to hold a tenancy ends.

 

Refusing offers of social housing

If a customer refuses 2 suitable offers of social housing they will be disqualified from applying for social housing for 12 months, after which time a new application can be made.

 

Exceptional circumstances

The Council recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances where it becomes necessary to reconsider the qualification criteria in the case of individual applicants who would not normally qualify. The Council may reconsider the qualification of these individuals in extreme exceptional circumstances, for example where there is a threat to life and no other housing options are available.

 

 

Change of circumstances

If your circumstances change you must up date your application in the Birmingham Choice website.  Once updated, this will be verified based on the updated information. 

 

 

Reviews

You have the right to request a review within 21 working days of receiving the decision. This will be explained in your decision letter.

You will need to tell us about the decision(s)  you want us to review, for example:

 

• You are not eligible to join the housing register

• You do not qualify to join the housing register because of unacceptable behaviour

• You do not qualify to join the housing register because you have no housing need

• You do not qualify to join the housing register because of excess income or assets

• You do not qualify to join the housing register because you have no local connection to Birmingham

• You do not qualify to join the housing register because of an inability to hold a legal tenancy

• You do not qualify to join the housing register because you have refused offers of accommodation

• You disagree with the priority you have been given

• You have been removed from Band 1 after refusing an offer

• Not everyone in your household has been included on your application

  You might want to tell us why you think our decision is wrong and what you want us to do.

You can request a review from the Birmingham Choice Home Page when logged in.