Housing advice for people who are ex-armed forces
If you're leaving the armed services, or you are a former member, you may be entitled to extra help if you become homeless. We advise you to:
- check the housing allocation scheme, Cumbria Choice
- check the local lettings policies in areas where you want to be re-housed
- get help with housing or apply as homeless before you're discharged
Homelessness rights for ex-forces
You may qualify for help from the council if you are a former member of the armed forces and are homeless or threatened with homelessness. You will also have to prove to the council that you are eligible for housing assistance, and you have not made yourself intentionally homeless.
If you satisfy the criteria, we have to help you with both emergency and longer-term accommodation if you are homeless and in priority need of accommodation.
We must consider if it can help you, using both general rules that apply to everyone and special rules that apply to people who were in the forces. It can be easier to get help if you qualify under the general rules for people in priority need. For example, if you have dependent children or are pregnant.
We should also look to see if you are vulnerable in someway. This may involve showing how an issue affects your ability to secure housing for yourself compare with other people who are rendered homeless. These issues can include:
- disabilities
- mental health problems
- addictions
Homelessness rules for the armed forces
If you can show that your vulnerability is the result of being a former member of the armed forces, you should be treated as being vulnerable and therefore in priority need for accommodation.
When deciding this, we may consider:
- how long you were in the forces and what role you had
- if you spent any time in a military hospital
- if you were released from service on medical grounds (and have a Medical History Release Form)
- if you have had accommodation since leaving and if you have been able to obtain or maintain accommodation since you left
- how long it has been since you left service
To help support your case, you may need to provide medical evidence from the MOD, including a Medical History Release Form (if you were given one).
You may need to seek independent legal advice or help from a specialist agency to make representations on your behalf if this council decides that you do not meet the criteria set out above, and therefore it does not owe a duty to you to provide you with accommodation.
Re-housing in the area of your base
To be accepted as homeless in the local council area where you were based, you must be able to show that you have a local connection with the local council where your base was situated.
You may be able to show a local connection with that area if you:
- currently work in the area
- have lived in the area for six out of the last 12 months or three out of the last five years
- live with a partner who currently works in the area
If you have left the forces and are not yet working for another employer in the area, you won't be able to show a local connection through working in the area. However, you may still be able to show that you have a local connection as the time you spent living or working in the area may still count.
You will not establish a local connection with an area by virtue of serving, or having served there while in the forces.
You don't need to have a local connection to apply to go on Cumbria Choice housing register.
Applying as homeless before leaving the forces
Contact our Housing Options service if you think you will be homeless after discharge from the services. The Housing Options service should not wait until you are made homeless before it helps you.
Upon the production of a letter of discharge or some other evidence that confirms the date of your discharge from the Forces, the council should accept that from the date of discharge you will become homeless.
In the event that you have not sought any housing assistance from this council prior to your discharge from the forces you may need to stay in your accommodation as long as possible and wait for Defence Estates to evict you. Defence Estates have to give you a notice to vacate before they can take you to court in order that they can obtain a possession order. You can use any notice to vacate and any possession order that is obtained against you as evidence in support of your homelessness application.
Ex-forces and single, homeless and on the streets
Many single homeless people don't qualify for help from the council or any other local authority. There is a range of services for people who find themselves homeless such as:
- Home Group Ex Services or Veteran Accommodation in Cumbria have accommodation across Cumbria on their website
- SSAFA provide housing advice to people currently serving in the forces an ex services personnel and their families
- use the Homeless England directory to find details of other day centres and hostels across the UK
Homeless after dishonourable discharge
The council may not have a duty to help you if you are homeless after being discharged on disciplinary grounds from the UK armed forces.
Joining the Housing Register
The following categories of applicants will be afforded a priority status for accommodation on Cumbria Choice if they have left the Armed Forces within the last 5 years:
- those discharged from the Armed Forces as a result of sustaining a serious injury, illness, medical condition, or disability during service which is attributable (wholly or partly) to the person's service
- those former serving members of the Reserve Forces who need to move because of a serious injury, medical condition, or disability sustained as a result of their service
- those applicants who are in housing need and have been discharged from the Armed Forces such as former armed forces personnel in housing need
- those bereaved spouses or civil partners of those serving in the regular forces where the bereaved spouse or civil partner has recently ceased to reside, or will cease to be entitled, to reside in Ministry of Defence accommodation
- those applying following the death of their service spouse or civil partner, where the death was wholly or partly attributable to their service
Contact us
If you prefer to speak to an officer at the council regarding your situation, please contact our Housing Options service.
Phone: 0300 373 3730
Email: Homelessness1@cumberland.gov.uk