It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support at any stage, subject to meeting the eligibility and need criteria at the point at which they apply.
Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
Where a household is deemed to meet the eligibility criteria, only then is its housing need assessed under the criteria in Regulation 23 of the 2011 Regulations, having regard to its current accommodation. This criteria includes where its accommodation is shared with another household, whether the household that has applied for social housing support has a reasonable requirement for separate accommodation.
Decisions on the qualification of specific persons for social housing support, the most appropriate form of any such support, and the allocation of that support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned.
Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA).
Details on the current tenure of households, including those living with parents for each local authority are included in tables 2.7 and A1.7 in the report.
