Homelessness help if you are disabled

If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, contact your local council.

Find your local council (GOV.UK)

There are 3 types of housing you can get from the council if you are homeless.

Emergency housing

Accommodation like a bed and breakfast or hostel where you can stay for a short time if you are eligible.

Temporary housing

Accommodation you can stay in for a longer time while you wait for suitable long-term housing. This could be different types of accommodation including a flat or hotel. You must be eligible for long-term housing support from the council to access temporary housing.

Long-term housing

A home that you rent from the council or a housing association.

Contact your local council’s homelessness team if you are at risk of homelessness. This is sometimes called making a homeless application.

Find your local council (GOV.UK)

You can make a homeless application:

• on the phone
• in person
• by email
• online – some councils have online forms

The council must provide information in a format that is accessible to you. For example, you can ask for a British Sign Language interpreter or information in another language.

Shelter has more information on how to ask the council for homeless help, including letter and email templates.

How to ask the council for homeless help (Shelter)

You can also get help with food from the council, through the Household Support Fund.

Get help with cost of living from your local council (GOV.UK)

Emergency housing can also be called:

• emergency accommodation
• interim housing
• interim accommodation

If you are in emergency housing, the council has 8 weeks (56 days) to do an assessment. They will decide if they think you need long-term housing support.

If the council team does not think you are eligible for long-term housing support, they will not offer you temporary housing or long-term housing. You will need to leave your emergency housing. The council will help you look for suitable housing.

Your council must help you find emergency housing if they think that all of these might apply:

• you are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• you are a UK citizen or your immigration status means you are eligible for help from the council
• you have a 'priority housing need' or are classed as 'vulnerable'

Councils use the word 'vulnerable' to mean people who would be at a higher risk of harm if they were homeless. This can include disabled people and people with health conditions.

If you are eligible, the council has a legal duty to help you with emergency housing under the 'prevention duty' for homelessness.

Immigration status

Shelter has more information on what housing help you can get depending on your immigration status.

Homeless applications: Immigration and residence (Shelter)

Priority need and 'vulnerable'

To be eligible for emergency housing from the council you must have a priority need or be classed as 'vulnerable'.

Priority need includes if you are:

• pregnant or live with children
• homeless because of domestic abuse
• a care leaver aged 18 to 20

If you do not have a priority need, you could still be eligible for emergency housing if you can explain that it would be unsafe for you to not have a home.

You need to explain how:

• your condition affects you
• being homeless would affect your health because of your condition

Give as much detail as you can. For example, if you:

• need to keep medication secure or in a fridge
• are disabled or have a long-term condition that makes you more at risk from cold
• are at risk of being bullied or coerced

Shelter has more information on priority need and how to tell the council about your condition.

Priority need (Shelter)

Emergency housing from the council (Shelter)

Emergency housing might be a:

• self-contained flat
• bed and breakfast
• hotel
• hostel
• refuge

You cannot usually choose what type of accommodation you get. But tell the council what you need for the home to be suitable for you and anyone you live with. For example, tell the council if:

• sharing a kitchen or bathroom with other people would put you or someone in your household at risk of infection
• you have an assistance animal
• you need step-free access
• you need to be close to your hospital, care services or your child's school

If you have children or are pregnant

If you have children or are pregnant, you should not be offered a hotel, hostel or bed and breakfast. You should be offered a self-contained flat.

If you are 16 or 17 or a care leaver under 25

If you are 16 or 17, you should not have to stay in a hotel, hostel or bed and breakfast.

If you are a care leaver under 25, you should not have to stay in a hotel, hostel or bed and breakfast unless there is nowhere else available.

If you are offered unsuitable emergency housing

Legally, the council does not have to find emergency housing that meets all your needs. This is because there is a shortage of suitable accommodation.

Even if you have had an occupational therapy assessment for housing and the emergency housing offered does not meet your needs. 

If you are offered emergency housing that is not suitable for you, accept it anyway. You can ask to move to more suitable accommodation later.

If there is a shortage of emergency housing in your local area, the council might look for suitable housing in a different area. Tell the council if you need to stay in the same area so you can access services or be close to people who support you.

If you are experiencing abuse and it would be safer for you to be in a different area, tell the council. We have more information on finding housing if you are a victim of abuse.

Finding emergency housing if you feel unsafe

If they refuse to find you suitable emergency housing, you can make a complaint.

What to do if the council’s homeless team will not help (Shelter)

Assistance animals in emergency housing

The Equality Act 2010 does not define assistance animals as pets. It defines them as an independent living aid. This means you have the legal right to have an assistance animal in your accommodation even if there is a rule against having pets. This includes guide dogs and psychiatric support dogs. It does not include emotional support animals.

Emotional support animals are defined as pets so you might not be able to have them in accommodation where there is a rule against having pets. Ask the landlord if they will allow it.

If you have a pet or emotional support animal who cannot stay in emergency housing, you could:

• ask a friend or family member to look after them
• look for local community groups and ask if someone could look after them
• contact local animal charities who might be able to look after them

Assistance dogs in rented accommodation (Assistance Dogs UK) 

If you move into emergency housing, it is important to know what the rules are. The rules will be in your licence or tenancy agreement. Ask the council to see the licence or tenancy agreement.

If you break the rules, the council can ask you to leave and stop helping you. This could include:

• damaging the property
• moving out without telling the council
• antisocial behaviour

Temporary housing is different from emergency housing. You must be eligible for long-term housing to receive temporary housing.

The council will do an assessment if you are at risk of homelessness or while you are in emergency housing. This is to see if they think you need long-term support with housing. The council has 8 weeks (56 days) to do the assessment. This is called 'the main housing duty'. It means the council takes on responsibility for finding you a suitable home.

To be eligible for long-term housing, all of these must apply:

• you are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• you are a UK citizen or your immigration status means you are eligible for help from the council
• you have a ‘priority housing need’ or are classed as 'vulnerable'

If you are eligible, the council has a legal duty to support you with long-term housing under the 'main duty' for housing.

There is a shortage of housing so they may offer temporary housing first. Some people are in temporary housing for years before the council find them a suitable long-term home.

Personal housing plan

Give the council as much detail as you can about your condition and access needs. This will go in your personal housing plan, so the council know what kind of home you need.

Your personal housing plan (Shelter)

Temporary housing when homeless (Shelter) 

Temporary housing is usually better quality than emergency housing but it might still be in a hotel or bed and breakfast. If you live with children, the council must find you a self-contained unit like a flat instead of a room in a hotel.

If you are eligible for temporary housing, you have a right to housing that is suitable for you and your household. The council must provide suitable temporary housing under the Housing Act (1996). This means the temporary housing must: 

• be affordable
• be accessible to you and the people you live with
• have enough space for everyone you live with without overcrowding
• not be damp
• not need repairs
• be close enough for you to travel to services such as hospital, care services or your child’s school

Getting a suitability review

You must ask for a suitability review within 3 weeks of getting the offer. The council will review the accommodation to see if it:

• is affordable for you
• is accessible to you
• has enough space for you and your household
• has damp or need repairs

Shelter has more information on how to get suitable temporary accommodation, including a letter template to ask for a suitability review.

Unsuitable temporary accommodation (Shelter)

If the council accepts the main housing duty for you, they must find you suitable accommodation. You have the right to stay in temporary accommodation until they find you a suitable long-term home. It can take years before they offer you a long-term home.

This is called making a final offer of housing when homeless. The offer could be for a home that you rent from:

• the council or housing association
• a private landlord with a tenancy agreement for at least 12 months

You can ask for a suitability review for long-term housing.

Final offers of housing when homeless (Shelter)

Applying for accessible council and housing association homes

Long-term housing from a private landlord

Renting from a council or housing association is usually more stable than renting from a private landlord. But it can be quicker to find a privately rented home.

You can look for homes from a private landlord even if the council has accepted the main housing duty for you. If you find a suitable home to rent from a private landlord, the council will no longer have the main housing duty for you.

This means you will not be on the waiting list for a home from a council or housing association anymore. But the council may give you financial help with things like:

• removal costs
• paying a deposit
• paying your first month’s rent

How to afford rent

Emergency and temporary housing must be affordable for you. You do not have to pay for it in advance.

You can usually get financial help to pay for emergency or temporary housing through:

• Universal Credit housing element
• Housing Benefit

If you do not get Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, you can put in a new claim. Ask the council which benefit to claim and if there are other service charges. For example, for cleaning and maintenance.

You may have to pay for other things such as storing furniture. The council can arrange furniture storage, but you might need to pay for this.

You might be able to get other financial help through:

• Discretionary Housing Payment
• Disability grants

If you might return to your other home

You might want to return to your other home at some point, for example if you have left to due to:

• domestic abuse but might be able to return if the abuser moves out
• a natural disaster such as flooding or fire and the home might get repaired

Shelter has more information on getting benefits for 2 different homes.

Claiming benefits for 2 homes (Shelter)

The council must give you information and support to help you find a suitable home.

There is other help available.

Support for rough sleeping

Housing options for disabled people

If you disagree with the council at any stage, you can ask them to look at their decision again.

They should send you a letter or email with their decision and how they made it. If you think they have missed something or said something inaccurate, let them know.

If the council does not send you a letter, ask for one. If they do not explain the reasons behind their decision, you can make a complaint.

If they give you their reasons and you still disagree with their decision, you can make a complaint.

We have more information on:

• making a complaint to the council
• making a complaint about the council to the ombudsman
• contacting your MP

Your rights if social housing is not meeting your needs

Complain about a council or housing association (Shelter)

If you are homeless and living on the streets, you can get free information and support from:

• Crisis
• your local council (GOV.UK)
• StreetLink
• Turn2us advice finder