The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

You should immediately contact the council for advice and assistance if your landlord has served you with a notice asking you to leave, or you are otherwise worried that you are or might become homeless. You should not wait for your landlord to have secured possession from the courts, before you notify us

Your homeless case officer will need proof of your identity, your tenancy agreement, and any notice asking you to leave. For example they might need to see letters from your landlord, wage slips, proof of benefits etc. to help them develop a plan.

The Authority will normally contact your landlord to see if it can negotiate on your behalf for you to remain in the same property. It could also mean providing you with information, about benefits you can claim, or information on how to look for accommodation or your housing rights to remain in the property.

Your case officer will advise you of this, examples might include looking for accommodation or claiming benefits entitled to you. In some cases your obligations as a tenant will be explained to you, if the landlord is concerned you are not meeting the conditions of your tenancy.

A prevention plan is for those that are threatened with homelessness from the home they are currently occupying, a relief plan would be made for those that the Authority already considers to be statutorily homeless.

You will only be required to undertake reasonable actions by your case officer e.g. looking for accommodation. If you feel an action is not reasonable you should explain this to your case officer.

The authority will work with you to develop a prevention and a relief plan, and advise you of your options but just as under the current legislation there is no statutory duty to rehouse single people without support needs. If you are vulnerable or have additional needs please tell your caseworker, they will advise you of what further information they require and what the Authorities statutory duty is towards you.