What a homeless review is
If you disagree with a decision we've made on your homeless application, you can usually ask us to review that decision. We must then look at the decision again.
By law, you can ask us to look again at most of the decisions we've made on your homeless application. This is called asking for a review.
We will change the decision if we’ve made a mistake. We may also overturn a decision, if your circumstances have changed.
How to find out if a decision can be reviewed
Your decision letter will tell you if you can ask for a review.
If you have any questions about this, you can contact us or get independent legal advice.
Email: homeless.intervention@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 300 4370
Decisions you can ask us to review
- you’re not homeless
- you’re not threatened with homelessness
- you’re not eligible for help (because of your immigration or nationality status)
- you don’t have a priority need
- you became homeless intentionally
- you’re not owed one of the following duties, or a decision that one of the following duties has ended:
- duty to prevent homelessness (under section 195 of the Housing Act 1996)
- duty to help you find accommodation (under section 189B of the 1996 Act)
- main housing duty (under section 193 of the 1996 Act)
- duty to provide accommodation under section 193C of the 1996 Act
- the steps we'll take to:
- help you keep your present accommodation
- help you find suitable accommodation
- your case should be referred to another council, because you don’t have a local connection with our area, but have a connection with another council’s area, where the ‘relief’ duty has ended and we're seeking to avoid the main housing duty
- your case has been transferred to another council because you don’t have a local connection with our area, but have a connection with another council’s area
- accommodation offered to you is suitable, if the accommodation is being offered to meet (or end) one of the following duties:
- prevent homelessness (under section 195 of the Housing Act 1996)
- help you find accommodation (under section 189B of the 1996 Act)
- the main housing duty (under section 193 of the 1996 Act)
- provide accommodation under section 193C(4) of the 1996 Act
- provide interim accommodation when:
- the section 189B relief duty has ended
- we're seeking to refer your case to another council, but the other council has yet to decide if it’s accepting the referral
Decisions that can't be challenged by a review
Some decisions on homeless applications don’t carry a right to review. For example, you can't ask for a review if we refuse to provide temporary accommodation before we've made an initial decision about whether you’re owed a homelessness duty.
If you’re not sure about your right to ask for a review, get in touch:
Email: homeless.intervention@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 300 4370
If a decision doesn't carry a right to review, or if you want to challenge a delay in making a decision, you can apply for judicial review. This is a complex area. You should get independent legal advice if you want to use this route.