Assessing Your Points

If you are eligible to join the waiting list we will assess your application under the following points scheme to work out your points entitlement. You may be awarded one level of points under any of the following categories to reflect your needs except those applicants who have no fixed abode (see Insecurity Points).

• Homelessness Points
• Property Points
• Health & Social Points
• Management Points
• Penalty Points
• Local Connection Points

Homelessness Points

If you have lost your home or are likely to do so in the next 28 days you may be awarded:

• 100 points - Homeless unintentionally and in priority need

• 50 points - Homeless unintentionally but not in priority need

• 10 points - Intentionally homeless and in priority need

• 5 points - Intentionally homeless but not in priority need

These points will only be awarded following a formal interview and investigation, by a Homelessness Officer, into your housing circumstances. All decisions will be made in accordance with the Homelessness Legislation. Homelessness points will be removed upon refusal of a "final offer" of "suitable" accommodation.

Property Points

Overcrowding

If your home is not big enough for your needs you may be awarded:

• 50 points - per extra bed space required (max. 100 points)
  i.e. per person needing an additional bedroom

We will consider that separate bedrooms are needed for:

• a married couple or couple living together
• a single person or parent aged 16 years or over
• a child between the ages of 8 - 15 years (inclusive) who would have to share with someone of the opposite sex

Unless proved otherwise, assumptions about the applicant's present accommodation will be made as follows:

•  One bedroom accommodation = 2 bed spaces
•  Two bedroom accommodation = 4 bed spaces
•  Three bedroom accommodation = 5 bed spaces
•  Four bedroom accommodation = 7 bed spaces

We will not award points where overcrowding can be avoided by re-organising where people sleep or where it has been caused deliberately.

Under-occupation

If your current home is too big for your needs you may be awarded:

• 50 points - per bedroom not required (for Current Social Housing Tenants, Local Authority or Housing Association Tenants only)

We will not award points to an applicant, who by their own choice of sleeping arrangements causes under-occupation.

Sharing facilities

• 50 points - Households with children or expecting a child
• 30 points - Couples
• 20 points - Single persons

These points will be awarded to applicants who share living accommodation (living room, kitchen or bathroom) with another household (parents, friends, lodging etc.) and who are seeking separate accommodation.

Where there has been a relationship breakdown and accommodation is still being shared with a former partner, the applicant shall be considered as a single person, i.e. needing their own bedroom etc. Evidence of separation will be required.

Insecurity

These points will be awarded where the applicant currently lives in insecure accommodation such as a hostel, bed and breakfast, any temporary accommodation provided by us, or other accommodation such as caravan, tied accommodation or institution.

• 50 points - WCBC Temporary Accommodation
  For unintentionally homeless, priority need applicants who have been placed in temporary accommodation by Wrexham County Borough Council, Housing Services

• 20 points - Other Temporary Accommodation
  Hostels and other temporary accommodation where the applicant's stay is time limited, e.g. The Foyer, Hurst Newton Hostel, etc

• 20 points - Rough sleepers and applicants with no fixed abode
  Applicants who have no fixed abode will be asked to prove their situation by providing:

  • written confirmation from your employer of your address for administrative purposes or

  •  if you are unemployed, written confirmation from the Benefits Agency or Job Centre that your application address is no fixed abode (NFA) and details of your correspondence address. Due to the difficulties in assessing your current housing conditions, you will be considered for insecurity points only and will not receive points for overcrowding, sharing etc.

Condition of property

If your current property is in poor condition you may be awarded:

• 100 points - "Unfit" property in extremely poor condition and unsuitable for occupation (Borough connection required)

• 50 points - Property in urgent need of repair

These points will only be awarded following a home visit.

Substantial repairs must be needed to bring the applicant's property back to a standard. This may include repairs to the interior or exterior of the property.

Points will not normally be given to current Wrexham County Borough tenants where the issues of disrepair can be resolved.

Children in upper flats

Points shall only be awarded if you live above ground floor and have children permanently living with you or someone in your household is expecting a child.

• 50 points - Two or more children under 10 years of age or expected children living above ground floor

• 30 points - One child under 10 years of age or expected child living above ground floor. Expectant mothers must provide proof.

Health & Social Points

Health or Social Care Needs

If you have a medical condition, disability or social need which can be improved by being re-housed you may be awarded:

• 100 points - Critical (Borough connection required)

• Up to 50 points - Serious

Points will be awarded by the Health and Social Care Panel on receipt of your Special Needs and Medical Assessment Form. Supporting evidence must be provided regarding the applicant's circumstances and any agencies that are involved with their case, e.g. details of welfare benefits received, support services received, appointments and supporting letters from professionals clearly stating the need for re-housing etc.

Cases are "critical" where the applicant or a member of their household:

• has a serious illness, disability or medical condition e.g. terminal illness, permanent disability or progressive condition and they are completely unable to cope in their present accommodation. Re-housing is the only option.

• is hospitalised and is unable to return to their home as it is totally unsuitable for their long-term needs by way of design or location and/or is unsuitable for adaptations.

• is unable to access essential facilities within the property e.g. bathing or WC, or access to the property itself is totally unsuitable. The property cannot be adapted to meet their needs.

• needs to move to provide support to a relative or person with serious illness, disability or medical condition and that person can only cope in their present accommodation with the applicant's support.

• is due to leave local authority care and requires their own accommodation.

  • illness, permanent disability or progressive are completely unable to cope in Re-housing is the only option.

  • unsuitable for their long-term needs by way and/or is unsuitable for adaptations.

  • bathing or WC, or access to the property The property cannot be adapted to meet their needs.

  • needs to serious illness, disability or medical condition and only cope in their present accommodation support.

• has a serious long-term or chronic alleviated by re-housing.

• harassment, witness protection, tenancy enforcement issues, etc.

Cases are "serious" where the applicant or a member of their household:

• Has some difficulty in using facilities in the property which could be alleviated by re-housing.

• has serious health or social care problems which are likely to be alleviated if they were re-housed or moved near friends or family for support/or the person(s) providing support were housed nearby.

• has a mental illness which could be alleviated by re-housing.

• has other social care grounds for re-housing e.g. isolation, harassment, neighbour disputes etc.

The Occupational Therapist may need to carry out a home visit to discuss your application in detail. He/she will assess your current home and how your medical situation would benefit from moving home.

Community Safety and Well-Being Needs

If you are part of a support project sponsored by Wrexham County Borough Council and require re-housing you may be awarded:

10 points

These points are awarded to applicants who are under the sponsorship of a Wrexham CBC project that involves working with partners to improve the well being of the population of Wrexham and community safety. This work may include supporting vulnerable young people to move to independent living, ex-offenders to prevent re-offending, rehabilitating substance mis-users, and supporting people with learning
disabilities. Applicants working with the following projects will be entitled to these points:

• Keyring
• "The Moorlands"
• Hurst Newton
• CAIS
• MIND
• Tai Hafan
• Hafan
• NACRO
• St John's Hostel

Management Points

300 points

These points will only be awarded by the Management Move Panel and may include the following situations:

• Where your urgent housing issues fall outside the lettings policy and securing alternative accommodation is in the best interest of you, an estate or a community

• Where your re-housing is a matter of urgency, but where the points awarded under the points scheme do not reflect this urgency

Penalty Points

20 points deducted for each £100 owed.

We may deduct points if you:

• owe any outstanding housing related debts to us or another social landlord, for example current or former tenant rent arrears, recharges etc.

We will inform you if any points have been deducted and advise you about what you need to do to have your points reinstated, for example making regular payments to reduce the arrears, improving the condition of your property.

Local Connection Points

Borough Connection

15 points

These points may be awarded if you:

• have lived within the Borough for at least 6 months in the last 12 months, or for 3 years in the last 5 years, and have lived there out of choice (for example, residence in a bail hostel does not qualify), or

• have a mother, father, sister, brother or children or any adult who acted as their parent and who has lived in the Borough for the last 5 years.

• have continual employment in the Borough area and this is confirmed in a letter from the employer.

• are an Asylum seeker dispersed to Wrexham without any choice and granted refugee status.

Community Connection

10 points

You may also be awarded these points if you have a connection with the community area you wish to be re-housed in by:

•  currently living in that area and having done so for 12 months, or having lived there for 3 years in the last 5 out of your own choice

•  having family associations in the area for example: a mother, father, sister, brother, children or any adult who acted as their parent and who you need to move closer to in order to give or receive essential support.

There are 8 "community areas" in the Borough.

Health & Social Care Form

Download the form in the following formats:

Health & Social Care Form - MS Word version 473Kb

Health & Social Care Form - PDF version 127Kb