Wealden District Council
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Applying for Social Housing to Rent

Important changes from 20th August to How you access your Sussex Homemove Account following the introduction of a PIN. Please see below for more information)

The Allocation team are not available on a Wednesday due to large numbers of emails and document uploads. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The Council manage just over 3,000 homes. However, because the demand for homes is greater than the supply, we run a Housing Register. If you are eligible, you can apply to be put on the waiting list.

How to apply for social housing and Sussex Homemove scheme

Sussex Homemove, which is also known as the Housing Register, is the choice based lettings scheme that Wealden District Council uses to advertise social housing properties available in Wealden. The scheme covers all the available housing association properties including retirement living/sheltered housing. As the demand for social housing is greater than what is available there is a waiting list.

You have to be eligible and then apply to be on the Sussex Homemove Scheme. Applicants are assessed and if accepted are placed into one of four bands (A to D, with A being the highest priority) according to their housing need. This banding is based on the criteria in the our  Allocations Policy.

Once you are on the scheme you have the choice to ‘bid’ for the properties you like. All available properties are advertised every two weeks, with photos and a full description on the Sussex Homemove website.

Properties are offered to those with the highest housing need, in accordance with our Allocations Policy

You will need to complete an online pre-assessment to see if you are eligible for social housing. 

If you are eligible you will then need to complete an online application form. At the end of the online application form you will also be asked to upload your supporting documents. Your application will be assessed once we have received all your supporting documents. 

We will let you know if your application has been accepted. If you are accepted you will be put into a priority banding according to our Allocations Policy and then you can bid for properties on Sussex Homemove.

You will have to submit documents at the end of the online application form for all members of your household:

  • Formal identification documents such as birth certificates or passports
  • Proof of address history for the last 5 years or 10 years if needed
  • Proof of income
  • National Insurance numbers
  • Dates of birth / pregnancy due date 
  • For any medical conditions evidence from a medical professional detailing the nature of a diagnosed medical condition AND evidence that this makes your current housing unsuitable.

Your Sussex Homemove login has changed to ensure that it meets the latest standards of data security.

A new security feature designed to keep your details safe and to prevent unauthorised access will be added to your Sussex Homemove account. This is sometimes referred to as ‘Two Factor Authentication’ – other services such as online banking apply such principles before you can login. You will have to enter a PIN each time you login. The PIN you use on each login is unique, with a new one sent to your email address each time you try to login. Instructions will be shown on-screen when you next try to login to the Sussex Homemove user account.

This change came into effect on 20 August 2024.

From the date of the change to login, you will need to do the following:

  • Enter your username / email address
  • Enter your password
  • Enter the unique PIN that has been sent to the email address linked to your Sussex Homemove account.

Please note that you will not be able to log into your account to upload documents, place bids, change any of your detail unless you receive a PIN number.

If you have any issues with receiving the ‘PIN’, please email us from your registered email address to:2FA@Wealden.gov.uk

Please note this email address is only for queries relating to PIN issues. Any non-PIN related queries will not be responded to and must be sent to HousingAllocations@wealden.gov.uk

If you are accepted onto Sussex Homemove Scheme, you will receive an email confirming your Homemove reference number and your banding, which you will need to bid on available properties. 

Properties are advertised every two weeks on the Sussex Homemove website, or you can set up a ‘property alert’ through your Sussex Homemove account to send you alerts for any suitable properties which you can then bid on.

You can make bids on this website. You can make up to three bids at a time and although it’s called ‘bidding’, no money changes hands – you’re just letting us know you’re interested in the property.

The adverts on Sussex Homemove will tell you about the size, type and location of the property, usually with a photo of a similar property type.
You need to carefully read the whole advert to check that the property is suitable for your needs.

Please ensure you look at the symbols to make sure that it is a property that you are able to bid on. Some properties are only available to certain types of households, for example, transfer tenants. We use advert icons to provide a quick guide to the features of a property. Here’s a guide to what they mean and some examples of the type of icons we use 

The table below shows demand from existing housing applicants for social housing on a town/parish basis.

Alciston

23

Alfriston

28

Arlington

28

Berwick

27

Buxted

44

Chalvington & Ripe

22

Chiddingly

24

Crowborough

93

Cuckmere Valley

23

Danehill

24

East Dean & Friston

29

East Hoathly & Halland

31

Fletching

23

Forest Row

43

Framfield

36

Frant

29

Hadlow Down

28

Hailsham

164

Hartfield

30

Heathfield & Waldron

90

Hellingly

97

Herstmonceux

51

Hooe

24

Horam

78

Isfield

22

Laughton

20

Little Horsted

23

Long Man

20

Maresfield

41

Mayfield & Five Ashes

38

Ninfield

27

Pevensey

88

Polegate

142

Rotherfield

37

Selmeston

20

Uckfield

136

Wadhurst

38

Warbleton

18

Wartling

20

Westham

76

Willingdon & Jevington

81

Withyham

28

There are 3 stages for Applying for Social Housing to Rent

To join our Housing Register, you must meet our eligibility criteria.

Who can join the Housing Register – Eligibility

Most applicants will be eligible to join the register, but there are some exceptions.

The following will not qualify to join the register:-

  • Applicants who own or jointly own a property or land with or without a
    mortgage, (including shared ownership, leasehold etc.) in the UK or
    elsewhere will not qualify to join the housing register unless exceptional
    circumstances apply.
  • Applicants or a member of their household who have purchased a property under the right to buy and has disposed of this asset by way of sale or gift to any other person will not qualify to join the housing register for a period of five years following the disposal of the property subject to otherwise being an eligible and qualifying person.
  • Applicants living outside of the UK
  •  Applicants including those for retirement living or general needs housing who have over £50,000 in assets.
  • Applicants whose housing costs are less than 25% of their income
  • Applicants with no local connection to the Wealden District
  • Applicants whose behaviour means we think they would not be able to satisfactorily manage a tenancy, for example, those with rent arrears or a history of anti-social behaviour.

Section 3 of our Allocations Policy   includes further details of people who will not be eligible. Here you can find our Housing Allocations Policy Key Facts. 

How to apply to join the housing register

To apply to join the Council’s housing register, you will need to complete an application online at Sussex Homemove .

If you don’t have access to the internet, you can use the internet free of charge at the Council offices or most libraries.

If you apply for housing, but you do not qualify, you will receive a letter explaining the reason and have the right to request a review of the decision. Once you have submitted your online housing application, you will be asked to provide information to support what you have said. For example this may include payslips, bank statements, Universal Credit/Housing Benefit entitlement, photo ID as well as any supporting documentation from other agencies. This list is not exhaustive. Once we receive all the supporting information we asked for, it will take around sixteen weeks to register your application. If you do not provide the required supporting information you will not receive an offer of accommodation despite being able to bid on individual properties.

Allocation of Homes – Priority Banding and Bedroom Categories

Once you have been assessed, you will be put into a priority banding (as per section 6 of our Allocations Policy) and bedroom category  (as per section 5 of our Allocations Policy). If you feel you have been placed in the wrong priority band or bedroom category you can request a review. This attachment provides guidance on requesting a review of your bedroom entitlement or banding We also operate a Parish Lettings Policy which aims to sustain and support rural communities by ensuring that housing in a rural parish is allocated to those applicants who have a local connection with that parish. It applies to all parishes in Wealden except lettings in Hailsham, Polegate, Uckfield or Crowborough (see Appendix A of our Allocations Policy).

Changes to your situation

Once you have applied for housing you are legally required to tell us about any changes in your situation as these can affect your housing application. You can let us know about these, or discuss your situation by emailing:  housingallocations@wealden.gov.uk or by calling 01323 443322.

Once a case has been made live a bid can be placed on properties.

We make properties available every two weeks at Sussexhomemove.org.uk.

  1. An applicant needs to go the web site
  2. Locate a property or properties in which they are interested.
  3.  Log into their own account and place up to maximum of three bids on suitable properties.

Please note we allow up to three bids per bidding round.

You are not able to place a bid on a property too large for your family needs

The successful person will be contacted in writing within 7 days of the adverts closing.

If you apply for housing, but you do not qualify, you will receive a letter explaining the reason and have the right to request a review of the decision.

Once you have submitted your online housing application, you will be asked to provide information to support what you have said. Once we receive all the supporting information we asked for, it will take around sixteen weeks to register your application. If you do not provide the required supporting information you will not receive an offer of accommodation despite being able to bid on individual properties.

Allocation of Homes – Priority Banding and Bedroom Categories

Once you have been assessed, you will be put into a priority banding (as per section 6 of our Allocations Policy) and bedroom category  (as per section 5 of our Allocations Policy). If you feel you have been placed in the wrong priority band or bedroom category you can request a review. This attachment provides guidance on requesting a review of your bedroom entitlement or banding

We also operate a Parish Lettings Policy which aims to sustain and support rural communities by ensuring that housing in a rural parish is allocated to those applicants who have a local connection with that parish. It applies to all parishes in Wealden except lettings in Hailsham, Polegate, Uckfield or Crowborough (see Appendix A of our Allocations Policy).

Changes to your situation

Once you have applied for housing you are legally required to tell us about any changes in your situation as these can affect your housing application. You can let us know about these, or discuss your situation by emailing:  housingallocations@wealden.gov.uk or by calling 0132

If you require additional support with applying for social housing please email Housing Options at housingoptions@wealden.gov.uk 

For information on housing costs/benefits please click here