Before you apply to be rehoused, please make sure you have the following information to hand which is required to complete your application. We may ask for proof as part of our assessment process:
Housing Online – new and existing applications
Applications are started and managed on My Housing Online. Please only complete a new housing application if you don’t have an existing application.
If you’re not sure whether you have an existing application or you are having trouble completing an online application, please contact our Homeseeker team on 01226 787878.
Due to the high volumes of applications we're receiving and the changes we're undertaking to implement our new Lettings Policy, it's currently taking around 8 weeks to process new applications.
Where we identify that an applicant may have a high housing need, we're prioritising the processing of these applications. Please only contact us to chase an application if you believe you have a high housing need and you haven't heard from us within 20 working days.
In some cases, more information is required to support the application form.
Click below to submit additional information to support your housing application. Please only submit one of these forms if you have a new or existing housing application. Supporting information without a corresponding housing application cannot be considered.
Any other information can be provided by email to homeseeker@berneslaihomes.co.uk
Please include these details in your email:
Once your application has been submitted, an initial decision on eligibility and priority will be made and communicated to you in writing within 20 working days.
In some cases, additional information may be required before we can decide. If this applies, a member of our assessment team will contact you to discuss this.
While all formal decisions are communicated in writing, it’s often quicker to communicate by telephone or email. If you’re happy for us to call or email, please make sure your contact details are up-to-date and included in your application.
Once a decision on your application has been made, this will be communicated to you in writing.
If your application is accepted, you'll be able to start bidding for properties.
If you disagree with a decision about your housing application you have the right to request a review. Your request must be made within 21 days of the original decision, and can be made online, by email, or by phone.
If your review request contains information that wasn’t considered during your initial assessment, your application will be reassessed taking into account this new information.
Information Required
Reason for Requirement
Proof of ID – Passport, driver’s licenses etc
To verify your identity to make sure you’re eligible for the Homeseeker Scheme
Proof of Address – Driver’s license, utility bill etc
To verify your address to make sure you’re eligible for the Homeseeker Scheme
Details of your past and present tenancies/housing situation
To understand your current housing situation and request references from your landlord if applicable
Your local connection to Barnsley
To verify you’re eligible for the Homeseeker Scheme
Your employment details and/or benefits received
To verify you can afford to pay your rent and if not, make sure that we offer you the appropriate support to sustain your tenancy
Your household income
To assess whether you can afford to resolve your own housing needs
Your amount of savings/investments
To assess whether you can afford to resolve your own housing needs
If you own/previously owned a property
To assess whether you can afford to resolve your own housing needs
Your reason for wanting to move
To assess your priority
Any required housing related support
To understand if we can support you to have a successful tenancy
Details of unspent criminal convictions (excluding traffic offences)
To assess how we can support you and/or assess your level of risk
Details of any anti-social behaviour or tenancy issues
To assess how we can support you and/or assess your level of risk
If you’ve not supplied mandatory information, we’ll get in touch with you to request this. You’ll be required to supply this within 14 days of us asking you to. During this time, you’ll be placed in a ‘pending’ status and will not be added to the housing register. If we do not receive this information within 14 days, we’ll cancel your application.
Our Homeseeker Team can assist with filling in the application form if required. You can contact them at Homeseeker@berneslaihomes.co.uk, or call 01226 787878.
Providing we receive all the required information from you, we’ll complete the initial processing of your application within 20 working days from the submission date. At this point we’ll advise one of the following:
We’ll complete all assessments within 6 weeks of the information being submitted.
We first determine whether you’re eligible to join the waiting list (details on eligibility criteria can be found in section 3.1 of the Lettings Policy). We then establish whether you qualify to appear on the housing register (see section 3.2.1 of the Lettings Policy). When these steps are satisfied, we look at if any restrictions should be in place before you’re able to start bidding for properties. Restrictions include restricted bidding or inactive bidding (see section 4.4.3 of the Lettings Policy).
The next stage is to calculate your property and bedroom entitlement. We’ll consider the number of people being rehoused, and if additional bedrooms are required (medical, carers etc). You can see how we calculate this in section 4.4.15 of the Lettings Policy.
The final stage is to assess the priority we will attach to your application. Under the new policy we award priority on the highest need an applicant has and not a sum of different needs. We’ll award Band 1, 2, 3 or 4 depending on your circumstances. You can view our banding criteria in section 4.4.13 of the Lettings Policy.
We decide your priority by assessing your circumstances in line with our banding criteria (section 4.4.13 of the Lettings Policy). Our Assessment Officers will review the information you have provided on your application form and if we do not require any further information, we’ll allocate you a band based on your highest need. In some cases, we may conduct telephone interviews, home visits, and contact any support services you may be involved with for further information.
The new policy will change the bedroom eligibility rules so that all bedrooms in family homes are filled. For example, a couple with one child will only match for a 2-bedroom home and a single person with 2 children will match for either a 2 bedroom or a 3-bedroom home. We’ll allow a spare bedroom in most 2-bedroom flats and bungalows, subject to age or medical qualification rules.
The table below tells you a little more about the number of bedrooms a household will match for.
Household
Bedsit*
1 bed*
2 bed flat and bungalow*
2 bed house
3 bed**
4 bed**
5+ bed**
Single person
