East Suffolk Council

Housing help eligibility

You will be assessed as being in Priority Need if:

• you have a dependent child or children living with you, that is those under 16 or under 19 if in full-time education
• you or someone living with you are pregnant
• you or someone living with you are vulnerable due to old age, mentally handicapped, physically or mentally disabled.
• you are a person who is vulnerable because you are fleeing a violent partner or threat of violence within your community
• you are a young person aged 16 or 17
• you are a person who is vulnerable as a result of spending time in the armed forces, serving a prison sentence or due to a care background
• you have become homeless due to an emergency for example fire flood or other disaster

Note the term vulnerable was defined in a housing related case heard in Court and is referred to as the 'Pereira test'. This case established that to be accepted as vulnerable due to health "the person is, when homeless, less able to fend for himself than an ordinary homeless person so that injury or detriment to him will result when a less vulnerable person would be able to cope without harmful effect".

An example might be where someone is suffering from depression, which under the Pereira Test might not be deemed as 'in priority need' because of vulnerability.

Having a local connection

If you qualify as being in Priority Need, the council will only have a duty to assist you if you or a member of your family have a local connection with the district. You may have a local connection:

• if you have lived in the district for six out of the last 12 months or three years out of the last five years
• if you have a permanent job in the area
• if your close family live in the area (only mother, father, brother or sister)
• if you need to live in the area for other special circumstances 

Medical conditions

If you suffer from physical or mental illness you should complete a medical questionnaire and return it to the Housing Advice and Options Team.

The information in the form will be reviewed by an appropriately qualified medical professional and your condition assessed as to how it affects your housing need.

The form can be completed by the person with the medical condition and does not have to be completed by their GP/consultant. However, we would expect the GP/consultant to confirm that the information is correct.

The council will not cover the cost of any reports/letters from medical professionals that we have not expressly requested. 

Whilst we are carrying out our investigations we expect you to actively seek alternative accommodation through our advice and assistance to prevent your homelessness. In the event of you becoming statutorily homeless, the council will need to confirm our duty under the Homelessness Legislation.