Other Applicants who do not qualify to join the Register
The Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011) allows the Council to decide that
some categories of Applicant do not qualify to join the Housing Register.
The Council have decided that the following categories of applicant do not qualify:
a) Applicants without a Local Connection to the Lewes District
b) Applicants who are registered on another Local Authority’s Housing Register
c) With some exceptions (see below), Applicants with over £32,000 of savings or assets, including
the savings and assets of all household members included in the application, and/or who own
accommodation or have a legal interest in homeownership, or who have the financial resources to
meet their housing needs in the private market.
d) Applicants whose anti-social behaviour (ASB) is serious enough to make them unsuitable to be a
tenant
e) Applicants who have been registered for at least 12 months who have not 'bid' for suitable homes
in the preceding 12 months, providing a suitable home has been advertised. It is considered that
Applicants who are not regularly bidding for homes are unlikely to be in sufficient housing need to
qualify.
f) Former social housing tenants who have been evicted for ASB, rent arrears and other breaches of
tenancy.
g) An Applicant, or a member of their household, that has a current (unspent) conviction for drug
dealing.
h) Applicants in Band A with an Emergency or Urgent housing need who have refused a suitable
offer.
i) Applicants who have refused two offers of social housing within one year, which are assessed as
suitable offers, will be suspended from bidding for a period of six months. The Homes First Team will,
at its discretion, make exceptions to this where it considers that there is a reasonable explanation for
the Applicant’s inactivity. Sensitivity will be applied, for example, where Applicant is identified as
being particularly vulnerable or in need of a specific type of property which does not commonly
become available to let. Applicants who are disqualified due to their inactivity may make a fresh
application by completing a fresh application form after six months. However, their earlier Priority
Date will not be retained.
j) Applicants who do not have a housing need.
k) Other Applicants who the Head of Homes First, in exceptional circumstances, has taken the
decision to disqualify.
l) Introductory tenants will not be permitted to apply unless there are overriding management reasons
which have been agreed by the Head of Homes First.
Home ownership, financial resources and exceptions
This section provides more detail on b) above.
Applicants who own or part own accommodation or who have a legal interest in home ownership (for
example through marriage or civil partnership in accommodation owned by their spouse or civil
partner) do not qualify to join the Housing Register.
However, if as a result of legal proceedings a Court has ordered that the Applicant may not reside in
the former matrimonial or civil partnership home in which they still have a legal interest for a period
which is likely to exceed 5 years, then the Applicant will be treated as if they do not own or part own
accommodation.
Applicants who are considered to have sufficient financial resources to buy suitable accommodation
in the Lewes District also do not qualify. A sufficient financial resource means sufficient capital to buy;
or sufficient income to raise a mortgage to buy; or a combination of both. 'Sufficient capital' includes
any assets or investments, even if they are not immediately available to the Applicant, such as any
residential or non-residential property that they own or part own anywhere in the world.