Advice for Armed Forces Personnel

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Help and Advice for Armed Forces Personnel

Are you a veteran? Or currently serving in HM forces? Need advice on your housing situation - now or in the future?

This information is for British Armed Forces personnel currently serving, and veterans who are seeking advice from Bassetlaw District Council about housing options. It provides information about how to find somewhere to live, and access support that may be available to you. This can be at the point of discharge or afterwards, to help personnel have a smooth transition into civilian life.

Bassetlaw Community Covenant

Leaving the armed forces has a huge impact on life and family as it impacts on housing, employment and education. A wide range of services are available from Bassetlaw District Council and our partner organisations that can help with resettlement.

Bassetlaw District Council has marked its support for the local services community by adopting an Armed Forces Community Covenant. The covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local armed forces representatives. It not only recognises the contribution of serving personnel, their families and veterans, but importantly it identifies practical ways the Council can help you access support to help adjust to life after leaving the services. In turn, the armed forces promote ties with the local community and offer support wherever they can.

Other partners and local groups have also signed up to the principles in the Community Covenant, including Nottinghamshire Police, NHS, Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue, Job Centre Plus, and BCVS on behalf of local voluntary and community services. You can read the Bassetlaw Community Covenant for additional information.

The Armed Forces Champion for Bassetlaw is Councillor Tony Eaton.

Finding Accommodation

Duty to Refer

All Public Authorities have a legal duty to notify the local Housing Authority (Bassetlaw District Council) of a service user if they consider that person may be homeless or become threatened with homelessness within 56 days, this includes the Secretary of State in relation to members of the regular armed forces i.e. Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and Army. This is called the “Duty to Refer”.

However, before making a referral, the Public Authority must:

Have consent to do so from the individual concerned (if consent not given, the referral cannot be made)
Allow the individual to choose which Housing Authority in England they wish to be referred to.
Have consent from the individual to share their contact details with the Housing Authority in order that they can be contacted once the referral has been received.

If a referral is made on your behalf, the Council’s Housing Needs Team will contact you on its receipt and arrange to carry out an assessment of your circumstances and need to determine whether you are homeless or threatened with homelessness within the next 56 days.

Applying for Council Accommodation

All armed forces personnel currently serving in the armed forces can apply to be registered on the Council’s waiting list for accommodation. Applications accepted onto the waiting list will be awarded Band C status in accordance with Section C8 of the Council’s Lettings Policy if the applicant has a local connection to Bassetlaw, which states:

C8 HM Forces

The applicant is:

A member of the Armed Forces or former service personnel and the application is made within 5 years of discharge; or
A bereaved spouse or civil partners of a member of the Armed Forces leaving Services Family Accommodation following the death of their spouse or partner; or
A serving or former members of the Reserve Forces who need to move because of a serious injury or medical condition or disability sustained as a result of their service

The applicant must have a close family connection in Bassetlaw District Council area or enlisted from the Bassetlaw District Council area. A close family connection is a spouse or partner, parent or parent in law, son, daughter, or grandparent.

If the applicant does not have a local connection with the Bassetlaw area but wishes to reside in the Bassetlaw area, their application will be awarded Band D states in accordance with Section D2 of the Council’s Lettings Policy which states:

D2 HM Forces

The applicant is:

A member of the Armed Forces or former service personnel and the application is made within 5 years of discharge; or
A bereaved spouse or civil partners of a member of the Armed Forces leaving Services Family Accommodation following the death of their spouse or partner; or
A serving or former members of the Reserve Forces who need to move because of a serious injury or medical condition or disability sustained as a result of their service

Homelessness

Threatened with homelessness?

If you think you will be made homeless within the next 56 days, and you cannot find your own alternative accommodation, you can approach any Local Authority in England and ask for assistance. An assessment of your circumstances and needs will be carried out and if the Council are satisfied you are threatened with homelessness within 56 days, you will be provided with a personalised housing plan. This will set out the reasonable steps to be taken in order to prevent you from becoming homeless.

This plan will include the steps that you and the Council will take to find a solution. This might involve, for example, negotiating with your landlord, finding private rented accommodation, securing debt advice, providing low-cost loans, maximising benefits, or getting help with training or work.

Already homeless?

If the Council are satisfied that you are homeless and eligible, help will be provided to try and resolve your homeless situation. If you are considered to be in a priority need group, the Council may also provide you with temporary accommodation while a settled home is found. Assessing if you are in priority need may involve considering whether you are vulnerable, in order to do this, the Council will need to take into account your experiences in the forces such as length of time served, places you have been stationed, the nature of your work and the impact of this on you.

Whether you are in priority need or not, assistance to relieve your homelessness will be provided for a period of 56 days. If a settled home cannot be found during this ‘relief period’, and you are in priority need (and have co-operated with us), we may then owe you what is known as the “main housing duty”.

Support and Advice

There are a range of national and local support services which offer advice on matters including housing, employment and education, health, support, finances and family life:

Veterans' Housing Advice

Telephone: 0808 801 0880 (8am-8pm, 7 days a week)

Help for Heroes

National organisation providing support for injured armed forces or veteran personnel.

Telephone: 01748 834148

Email: getsupport@helpforheroes.org.uk

Royal British Legion

A charity providing support and help for armed forces personnel and veterans.
Telephone: 0808 802 8080 (8am-8pm, 7 days per week)

Army Families Federation

A charity supporting army families.
Telephone: 01264 382324 (9am-1pm, Tuesday and Thursday)

Email: us@aff.org.uk

Saffa