Somerset

How the Scheme Works

Anyone  over the age of 16 and not subject to immigration control, seeking social housing anywhere in Somerset now only has to complete one  application form. Their needs will be assessed against the same clear set of criteria no matter where they live. Depending on their circumstances applicants are placed into one of 4 bands, Gold, Silver, Bronze or in a very small number of cases an emergency band.

From now onwards, if you have registered with the homefinder somerset scheme you will be advised of your banding, together with your application date  and your personal reference number which will enable you to bid for homes which will be advertised on a weekly basis.

What should I do now?

You can complete an application form online here.

Once you have completed your housing register form online you will receive a letter telling you:

• Your band
• The minimum and maximum number of bedrooms that we believe you need
• Your Login reference which you will need in order to bid.

If you would like to appeal against your band you have 28 days to do so from the date you receive your banding letter and the procedure will be explained in the letter you receive at that time.

Your date of registration, will normally be the day your local authority receives your application.  For accepted homeless applicants in Somerset this will be the date you applied as homeless to your local authority.

What do I do if I move or my circumstances change?

If you move or your circumstances change you will need to contact your local housing office for advice. It is very important to keep us informed of changes, which affect your application. Failure to do so could lead to you not being made an offer even if your bid is successful. It is your responsibility to keep your contact details up to date.

For applicants whose circumstances change, moving them to a higher band including those placed in the emergency band, the registration date will start from the date they moved to the higher band.

For applicants whose circumstances change, moving them into a lower band their registration date will remain unchanged.

When can I bid for homes?

Advertising cycles will always begin on Wednesday at 00.01am and close on the following Sunday at 11.59pm. You will not be able to bid on Monday and Tuesday. Please note that your bid is worth the same whether you bid on the first day or last day of the bidding cycle, which opens at midnight every Wednesday and closes just before midnight on the following Sunday.
The Homefinder Somerset scheme does not operate on a first come first served basis so there is no need to rush to place your bid as soon as the cycle opens. You can always check your position in the queue for a property you have bid for by checking your account on the website.

How do I bid for a home?

You can place bids by logging into your account on this website using the personal reference and PIN that you were provided with in your banding letter. You can also bid  using the automated telephone bidding line on 0845 270 2524.  You should be charged the local rate for this call if you are calling from landline but this charge may vary depending on your telephone service provider. If you use this service on a Monday or Tuesday you will incur call charges and will NOT be able to bid. In order to bid you will need:

• Your unique personal reference number as shown in your banding letter
• Your PIN, this will be the date of birth of the primary applicant in the format DD/MM/YYYY (unless you have changed this yourself) - you must include the forward slashes when inputting this to the website.
• The property reference number(s) for the properties you wish to bid for.

You can find details about vacancies on the website via the property search function or you can telephone 0845 241 5948 to listen to details of the vacancies in the current cycle. You should be charged the local rate for this call if you are calling from landline but this charge may vary depending on your telephone service provider. If you use this service on a Monday or Tuesday you will incur call charges and will NOT hear any vacancy details.

Which properties can I bid for?

You are only able to bid for properties that you are eligible for. There are a number of issues that affect your ability to bid:

Number of Bids
You are allowed to make up to 3 bids in each advertising period but you can withdraw your bids and re-use them on another property up until the close of advertising cycle.

Size of Property
You will only be able to bid for selected properties, which match the needs of your household. Your banding letter will tell you the size of property you are normally eligible to bid for.

Minimum Age
It should be noted that a tenancy will not usually be given to applicants under the age of 18 years without a ‘guarantor’ (e.g. Social Services, parent, guardian, litigation friend, etc). Partner organisations may have different policies in dealing with persons under the age of 18. For more details please contact the individual landlord.

Other Restrictions
In some cases there may be age restrictions on a property, if this is the case it will be clearly shown on the property advert using the appropriate symbols. If you don’t meet the age criteria you will not be able to bid for the property.

Property Labelling
Properties may be labelled to give preference to certain applicants. For example, households accepted by a Homefinder Somerset Authority as unintentionally homeless and in priority need.

What happens after I have made my bid?

When you place a bid you will be told your queue position for that property at that point in time. You can check your queue position at any time during the bidding cycle, as this position may change as others bid, by logging into your account on this website. Once the bidding deadline has passed it is the applicant in the highest band who has waited the longest on the housing register who will normally be successful. The successful applicant will receive a pre offer visit from the prospective landlord and the details on their application form will be formally validated.

What happens once the bidding cycle closes?

All bids received in any given bidding cycle will be put in priority order to produce a list of eligible applicants for each property advertised by the landlord of the property. If your name is at the top of the list the landlord will normally contact you. However, please note that if you have been guilty of anti social behaviour or have a debt with your current or former landlord you may not receive a formal offer of accommodation even if you are top of the list. This decision will be made by the prospective landlord on a case by case basis. If the landlord is unable to offer the property to the applicant at the top of the list they will move to the next applicant and so on.

If you think you have been unfairly overlooked for a property please contact the relevant landlord.

If you decide to refuse the property it will be offered to the next person on the priority list. You will not normally be penalised for refusing a property and will continue to be able to bid for properties advertised.
If a homeless applicant refuses an offer of suitable accommodation the local authority may seek to discharge its duty under the homeless legislation.
If you are in emergency band and refuse a suitable offer you may lose your priority.

If you are offered a property you will not be able to bid for other properties until you have decided to either accept or refuse the offer, the time limit for this will normally be two working days.

If you accept the property you will be advised when you can move in by the relevant landlord. The landlord will contact you to make arrangements to sign the tenancy agreement and hand over the keys.

Only those applicants at the top of the list will be contacted by landlords.