West Lancashire

The Council uses a banding scheme to prioritise applications.

All housing and transfer applications received for rented accommodation will be assessed and placed in one of 5 bands, A to E. The table below shows the banding scheme and gives examples of those applicants who would be eligible to be placed in each band.

 

Band A Urgent Priority: You need to move to escape violence or harassment, your home is severely overcrowded, you need to move because of an urgent medical condition, your current home is unsafe for living in, you have been left in occupation of a West Lancashire Borough Council tenancy, you are under-occupying a council tenancy,you are being discharged from the British Armed Forces and have sustained serious injury, or you are a foster carer whose housing prevents you providing care.

Band B High Priority: You are unintentionally homeless and in priority need, your home is overcrowded, you are living in unsatisfactory housing conditions, you need to move because of a medical condition, you need to move closer to your family to give or receive support, you need to move for hardship, employment or financial reasons, you are a young person leaving care, or you have a housing need and are leaving the British Armed Forces.

Band C Medium Priority: You are currently staying with family or friends, you are living in a mobile home on a non-residential site, you are privately renting and have been served with a Notice to Quit, you have been assessed as intentionally homeless or homeless without a priority need, you were originally awarded band A or B but have refused three properties, you have stated you are not ready to move, or you have been assessed as homeless and refused an offer of accommodation.

Band D Low Priority: You are a private rented tenant or live in a mobile home with no other housing needs.

Band E No Priority: You would qualify for a higher band but have the financial resources to solve your own housing need, you are a council or housing assocaition tenant with no other housing need, you have had reduced priority awarded to your application, you gave up a secure property within the 12-months before your application, or you have no connection to the Borough.

Increased priority for housing will be given to those applicants who work in the borough or who contribute through volunteering or training. This will be achieved by awarding a ‘plus’ status within each band. Therefore an applicant who is assessed as qualifying for Band B will be placed into Band B - Plus* if they also meet the economic/community contribution criteria.

For further information see the Councils Allocations Policy.