Information required to complete an application to join the Housing Register

Applications must be completed on-line

If you need help to complete the on-line form contact us on 01295 227004 to book an appointment with our Customer Services Team at:

 Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, OX15 4AA  Exeter Hall, Kidlington, Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 1AB  Franklin House, Bicester, Wesley Lane, OX26 6JU  The Town Centre Office, 43 Castle Quay, Banbury, OX16 5UW

All applications must be fully completed and submitted with ALL the necessary proofs.

After you have completed your application the ‘Declaration Form’ and proofs have to be submitted. You can do this by following the link on the Homechoice Making an application | Apply to join the housing register | Cherwell District Councilwebsite or emailing [email protected] or you can bring them into one of the offices above to be copied and attached to your application, you should make an appointment to do this.

We will NOT send out any letters or emails to advise you proofs are missing.

Applications that are incomplete or have not been supplied with all the necessary documents will NOT be processed and will be closed after 28 days.

Fully completed applications can be fast tracked for assessment.

What information / proofs do we need?

Declaration form – this can be download from the CDC website when you apply and is required as it gives us permission to process your application

Identification – this is needed to ensure the people on the application are who they say they are to prevent fraud.

For example: Passport, Driving license, Birth Certificate, Bank Statement, Armed Forces ID

Proof of Eligibility - British Citizens who are habitually resident in the UK are automatically eligible, but if you have recently returned from living abroad or if you are subject to immigration control you will need to provide further supporting documents.

For example: Habitual Residency Test, Home Office letter, leave to remain

Current Address – we need proof of where you are living now to assess your housing need.

For example: Recent Utility Bill, Benefits Letter, Bank Statement, Tenancy Agreement or Council Tax Bill

Full Housing History – we need details of all address for at least the last 5 years. This must include the name and contact details from any former landlords. We also need to know if you owned the house, were living with family/friend, with a resident landlord or held a tenancy. If you have had previous tenancies, we need to send for tenancy reports and can’t progress your application until these have been provided.

We must check your housing history as those with former tenant arrears or with a history of Anti- Social Behavior are disqualified from the Housing Register. Doing these checks as part of the application means that when we put you forward for an offer we can avoid unnecessary delays or problems with being housed.

Homeowners cannot be accepted onto the Housing Register unless they are over 55 and need sheltered or Extra-Care housing, evidence of these needs must be provided.

Local Connection – Only people with a connection to Cherwell are allowed to be on our Housing Register. If you have not lived in Cherwell 6 out of the last 12 months or 3 out of the last 5 years, you will need to provide details of how else you meet the local connection criteria.

If you work in the area you need to provide your contract of employment If you have close family in the area you need to provide their full names, addresses, contact details and how long they have lived here If you are leaving care in Oxfordshire you will need information to support this If you have another special reason to live in Cherwell you will need to provide information to say what this is with the evidence

Exceptions are members of the Armed forces and those with the Right to Move.

Full details are set out in the Allocations Scheme.

Residency of Children – we can only include children on your application if they live with you and are your dependents. You need to provide proof you receive Child Benefit or Child Tax Credits.

We can consider special circumstances, for example if the children do not currently live with you full-time, but you have a court order staying there is a plan that they will do in the future. You will need to supply evidence of this.

Bank Statements: We have to assess the financial circumstances for anyone who is applying. We need 2 months recent bank statements for ALL accounts, for all adults included on the application. Those with savings or income above £60,000 are not qualified to be on the Housing Register unless they are over 55 and need sheltered or extra-care housing.

Your bank statements can also be your proof of address, proof of ID, proof that you are in receipt of benefits for any children included on the application and proof you receive disability benefits to support any medical needs you have.

Proof of Income: We need this as you cannot be put forward for a property if you can’t show how you would pay the rent by working or claiming benefits. We also need to check you are under the £60,000 threshold.

For those in employment we need either 2 months or 5 week’s pay-slips. Additional information is not needed if this is shown on your Bank Statements.

The above information is REQUIRED and your application is not complete and will not be processed until this is provided.

You may have other information that would be useful to help us process your application such as:

Your tenancy agreement Any written notice if you have been asked to leave your home Army discharge papers Any other supporting information or evidence about your housing need on social or welfare grounds

Keyworkers should provide their contract of employment

Medical Needs

If you have medical issues which impact on your housing, you can download and submit a medical form. This will be assessed in-line with our Health and Disability Matrix. It is helpful if you supply supporting information from your GP or other health professionals.

Further Advice

If you have any queries about what is needed or want to check your application has been received you can contact the Housing Team on 01295 227004 or email [email protected] dc.gov.uk