Homelessness

If self-referring, please read the below statement and confirm you have read before sending. If completed on your behalf by an advisor/officer, this will be read to you before you are asked to sign. Please ask if you need any clarification.

I/We understand that it is an offence to induce a housing authority such as Redditch Borough Council to believe that any person is homeless or threatened with homelessness (has no suitable accommodation available to them anywhere) by knowingly or recklessly making a false statement or knowingly withholding information required. A person guilty of an offence under the Housing Act 1996.S214 is liable for prosecution.

I/We declare that I/we have no interest in any property that would be suitable for our occupation either here or elsewhere in the world. Redditch Borough Council is required under section 6 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 to take part in the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) data matching. I/we understand that data the Council holds in respect of my homeless application may be used for cross system and cross authority comparison purposed for the prevention and detection of fraud. 

I/We understand that Redditch Borough Council may make searches  with credit reference agencies that will supply us with information, including information from the Electoral Register to verify  identity and confirm housing history. The agencies will record details of the search whether my/our application proceeds. The Council may use credit searched and other information which is provided about me and those with whom I am linked financially to trace debts when investigating you homeless claim. The searches the Council makes will not be seen or used by lenders.

I/we confirm all the information provided is correct at the time of completing the application form, I/we agree to let Redditch Borough Council know as soon as any of my/our circumstances change.

I/we understand that if the application is successful the duty is primarily to prevent homelessness; to help me stay in my current home, if that is not possible the duty may be to relieve my homelessness. The duty may be fulfilled by finding a suitable private rental or social rented property or temporary accommodation. As there is a great scarcity of social rented properties in the area it is highly likely to be a private rental.

Redditch Borough Council has a duty to protect personal information and will process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. The personal data you provide on this form will only be used by Redditch Borough Council in accordance with Redditch Borough Council’s privacy policy.

I/we understand that the Council may contact third parties under their legal duty We need the personal information you supply so that we can check whether you are eligible to be for homelessness assistance and to manage your temporary accommodation charge account. The legal basis for this processing is legal obligation as set out in the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

Health information, gender and ethnicity is classed as ‘special category’ data, and is processed in accordance with Article 9(2)(h), health & social care purposes;  criminal record is also classed as special category data, and is processed in accordance with Article 10, ‘processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences’.

To further your application, it may be necessary to share your personal data with the following third parties:

GP’s, Revenues and Benefits, Landlords, Solicitors, Social Services, Banks or other financial organisations, Police and Probation Services, HMCS (Her Majesty’s Court Service), Other local authorities, providers of temporary accommodation  Support agencies, The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

This information will not be shared/sold to any other service/organisation unless we have a duty to do so under law.

This data will not be transferred outside of the EEA.

Information regarding all other information, including rights, can be found on our main privacy notice here: Redditch Borough Councils privacy notice