Disability housing pathway if you are known to social services

You can apply to the housing register if:

• you are 18+

• you have been living in Kensington and Chelsea for at least three years without a break. This is called the ‘local residency rule’. However, there are exceptions to when this may not apply to you. Please check the housing allocations scheme policy: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/housing/consultations-publications-and-policy/housing-policies-0/housing-allocation-scheme-2023

• you are a British or Irish citizen
• you have indefinite leave to remain
• you have settled status under the EU settlement scheme
• you have the ‘right of abode’ as a Commonwealth citizen
• you have refugee status or humanitarian protection
• you have a visa that allows you recourse to public funds.

The Housing allocations Scheme details when you can and cannot apply to join the housing register on pages 9 – 12 and can be found here: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/housing/consultations-publications-and-policy/housing-policies-0/housing-allocation-scheme-2023

Under 17 years old

Wait until you are 17 and a half years old before you can apply to the housing register. Your Social Worker (SW) or Personal Advisor (PA) should support you to apply to the housing register so speak to them in the first instance.

If you are not sure who your Social Worker or Personal Advisor is please contact: 020 7361 3013 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm). If you need urgent support outside of these hours, you can contact the Emergency Duty Team outside of these hours on: 020 7373 2227.

17+ years old

If you are under the Council’s care as a young person or you are a care leaver, and you join the Housing Register and be awarded independent living points. Your priority date will either be the date the Council accepted the duty of care towards you or the date you turned 16, whichever is the later.

Residents with needs such as being a care leaver, adult with learning disability or autism will have access to what is called special rehousing pathways. Speak to your allocated Social Worker (SW) or Personal Advisor (PA) to support you with applying to the housing register this.

If you don’t know who your Social Worker or Personal Advisor is please contact: 020 7361 3013 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm). If you need urgent support outside of these hours, you can contact the Emergency Duty Team outside of these hours on: 020 7373 2227.

Please see a housing guide for care leavers:  Housing Guide for Care Leavers | Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

If you are an adult with a learning disability or autism, you could be awarded a priority on the Council’s Housing Register called Independent Living Points.

Before being given independent living points Housing will need assessments and reports from other Council departments and/or the organisations that are supporting you and might undertake a joint assessment by Adult Social Care and Housing Needs with Adult Social Care taking the Lead.

Residents with needs such as being a care leaver, adult with learning disability or autism will have access to what is called special rehousing pathways. Speak to your allocated social worker to support you to register you with the housing register under the relevant housing pathway.

If you don’t know who your allocated Social Worker is you can contact the various teams below depending on which team you are supported by:

• Social Services Line - 020 7361 3013 (Monday to Friday between 9am – 5pm) | [email protected]  | 020 7373 2227 (Out of Hours)
• Community Learning Disability Team – 020 7313 6842/ 6843
• Mental Health Team - 020 7361 3013 or contact Single Point of Access in the event of requiring urgent support on: 0800 0234 650 (available 24 hours a day 365 days a year).

There is a points system that is used to prioritise households on the housing register. The Council believes everyone on the Housing register needs a better home but there are some people in some circumstances meaning their reasons to move home are more important than others. This means that the more important or urgent the reasons are for moving then the more points are given.