How to apply for social housing

My points are different to before and now I am in a band too - what does that mean?

From March 2025, the Allocations Scheme now has a new priority table. You will be placed in a band and given a different number of points. There is no need to worry if your points have changed. Previously, points ranged from 20 to 605; now, they range from 200 to 1000. This means that everyone on the Housing Register will have their points have change at the same time. 

For example, Westminster City Council tenants with Medical Priority previously had 350 points, whereas under the new Scheme, they now have 400 points in Band C. 

Your priority in relation to others has not changed significantly. However, we have introduced new Priority Groups for those with the highest housing needs, and you may be eligible to apply for these. As a result, some new Priority Groups may be placed above you within your band. 

I want to ask a question about my position in the new Scheme, how can I do this? 

If you were on the Housing Register before March 2025, you will receive a letter explaining your position in the new Allocation Scheme. If you are have any questions about this letter, please email AllocationSchemeEnquiries@westminster.gov.uk or visit one of our drop-in locations in your letter.

I have Employment Points, what happens in the new Scheme?

From 3 March 2025, the new Allocation Scheme will no longer accept new applicants with Employment Points. If you were previously awarded 50 Employment Points under the old Scheme, you will now have 200 under the new Scheme. This is due to the introduction of a new priority table with different bands and points. However, your 200 points are equivalent to your previous 50 points in terms of priority. 

Your Employment Points will still be subject to the rules of the old Scheme (Section 2.6.8), meaning in summary: 

• You must provide evidence of two years of continuous employment immediately before the date of your housing offer; or 

• You must provide evidence of engagement with HELP, followed by employment, totalling two consecutive years immediately before the date of your housing offer. 

• If you cannot provide the required evidence, your Employment Points will be removed, and you will not be able to reapply for them. 

If you have not been successfully re-housed within 36 months (by 3 March 2028), your Employment Points will be removed. 

If you lose your job, you must inform the Council. Otherwise, you may be shortlisted for a property you are no longer eligible for. If, at the time of your housing offer, you are unable to provide evidence of employment, your Employment Points will be removed, and you will not be able to accept the property. 

For more details, please refer to Section 3.4 of the new scheme. 

I want to apply for Employment Points, can I? 

No, the new Allocations Scheme will no longer accept new applicants with Employment Points from 3 March 2025. If you have not been awarded Employment Points by this date, you will no longer be able to apply for them. 

I do not have Residency Points; how can I apply? 

In the new Scheme, you can apply for Residency Points once you have lived in Westminster for 10 years, even if you have already joined the Housing Register. This means that if you are currently on the Housing Register, you may now be eligible for Residency Points, even if you were not previously. 

Examples: 

• You moved to Westminster in 2008 and applied to the Housing Register in 2010. 
  At the time, you did not receive Residency Points because you had only lived in Westminster for two years. Under the new Scheme, you will now be eligible for Residency Points. Since you have been on the Housing Register for more than 10 years, you will not need to provide any further evidence—we will automatically award you Residency Points. 

• You moved to Westminster in 2018 and applied to the Housing Register in 2019. 
  You did not receive Residency Points at the time, as you had only lived in Westminster for one year. Under the new Scheme, you will be eligible for Residency Points in 2029, and these will be automatically awarded to you without the need for further evidence. If you can provide evidence of your time living in Westminster between 2018 and 2019, we will set the date you receive Residency Points to 2028.   

• You moved to Westminster in 2004 and applied to the Housing Register in 2020. 
  You were awarded Residency Points at the time, as you had lived in Westminster for 16 years. Your Residency Points will be automatically transferred to the new Scheme. 

• If you have been on the Housing Register for more than 10 years, we will automatically award you Residency Points in the new Scheme. 

• If you have been on the Housing Register for less than 10 years, we will ask you to provide evidence of the number of years you have lived in Westminster. 

• If you can show 10 years or more, we will award you Residency Points. 

• If you can show less than 10 years, we will inform you of the date you will become eligible for Residency Points and will automatically award them on that date. 

Living in temporary accommodation provided by Westminster City Council, or in private rented accommodation secured through the Choosing PRS Scheme (even if located outside Westminster), will still count as evidence of residency in Westminster for the purposes of Residency Points. 

I want to apply for a new Priority Group in Band C or Band D, how do I do this? 

The new Allocations Scheme introduces Priority Groups for people with the highest housing need. These are: 

1. Cumulative Medical Priority: If more than one person in your household qualifies for Medical Priority, you may be eligible for this category. This does not simply mean that more than one person has a medical condition—it must be a long-term physical or mental health issue that makes it extremely difficult to live in your current home. 

• To apply for this Priority Group, you will need to complete an online application and Medical Assessment Form and provide supporting evidence.  

• If you are already on the Housing Register, you do not need to re-apply, you can submit evidence for another household member so we can assess whether they qualify for Medical Priority. 

2. Medical Priority and Severe Overcrowding: If someone in your household qualifies for Medical Priority and you are also severely overcrowded, you may be eligible for this category. You can find the definition of severe overcrowding in Section 6 of the Scheme. 

• If you are already registered with Medical Priority and have updated your household details, we will automatically register you for this new Priority Group if you also meet the severe overcrowding criteria. 

• If you are already registered as severely overcrowded, we will not automatically know if someone in your household qualifies for Medical Priority. In this case, you will need to provide medical evidence for assessment. 

3. Exceptional Medical Priority: This category applies if there is an exceptional need to move due to the severe impact your current home is having on a life-limiting or life-threatening medical condition. 

• You cannot apply for this category directly. Instead, Officers will assess your circumstances based on the criteria outlined in Section 6.2 of the Scheme.

• It is important that you update your information with Housing Services whenever your circumstances change or when requested. You may be considered for Exceptional Medical Priority at any time if your situation meets the necessary criteria.

If you are already registered on the Housing Register under Medical or Overcrowding Priority—whether you are a Westminster Council tenant or a non-Westminster Council tenant—you should have received correspondence about the new Priority Groups. You do not need to submit a new application, but you will need to provide updated medical information, including a Medical Assessment Form, as well as details of any changes in your circumstances, such as household composition. 

If you are a new applicant, you can apply to the new Priority Groups using our online form. The new Priority Groups will come into effect in September 2025 following a transition period. During this transition period, you can still be assessed under these Priority Groups. 

If you are accepted into a new Priority Group before September 2025, you will be assigned to the most appropriate group based on your circumstances and then transitioned into the new system after September 2025. For example, if you are accepted under Cumulative Medical Priority, you will be placed in the Medical Priority group during the transition period. 

What if I have already bid successfully and I am ‘under offer’? 

If you are currently under offer, the changes in the Scheme will not affect your offer. This also applies to any offers made before the new Scheme was introduced (any bidding cycle before 23 February 2025 even though the Scheme has now changed. 

However, any bids made on or after 4 March 2025 will be shortlisted according to the new Scheme.