Scotland Home Search

Assessment of Need

Priority passes are awarded on 3 levels, Gold, Silver and Bronze. There are 5 categories in which a pass can be awarded:

 

Priority Pass Type	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Housing Circumstances (homelessness)	*	*
Medical	*	*
Personal Circumstances	*	*	*
Overcrowding/Under occupying		*	*
Condition of Property		*	*

 

Priority Pass Types

 

Housing Circumstances (Homeless or threatened homeless)

A Gold pass is awarded if: the local Council has carried out a homelessness assessment and has accepted they have a duty to re-house as the person is homeless. A copy of the Council’s award letter is required before the Gold pass will be awarded.

A Silver pass will be awarded where: someone has not been assessed as homeless by the Council but they are in a homeless situation and have been given Notice to quit (evidence will be required).

 

Medical

A Gold pass is awarded where: the medical condition or illness makes it impossible for the applicant to remain in or return to their current accommodation.

A Silver pass is awarded when:                                                               

• The medical condition or illness is made worse in the current accommodation or if mental illness severely restricts the ability to continue to live in the current accommodation.

• An applicant currently living in adapted accommodation (which they no longer require), wishes to move to alternative accommodation.

   

A GP or other health care professional’s opinion may be sought, if necessary. If an applicant requests a letter from their GP, they may be charged for this.

Priority may not be awarded if the current accommodation can be adapted to meet the needs of the person with the medical condition.

 

Personal Circumstances

This category takes account of personal circumstances such as violence, harassment, support needs, need to be nearer work or study, isolation etc.

A Gold pass is awarded where: an applicant is suffering from violence (ie physical, mental, domestic, sexual abuse) in their current home or they are unable to return home because of this. Supporting evidence may be required.

A Silver pass is awarded where:

• Harassment is being experienced (ie threatening behaviour, racial harassment).

• An applicant needs to move to give or receive support for daily care in order to maintain personal comfort ie bathing or taking medication. (This will only be awarded where there is no-one already living locally who could reasonably provide such support). A pass will be limited to the area where the support is required.

   

A Bronze pass is awarded where:

• There are problems with anti-social behaviour ie noise, vandalism.

• There is a need to move closer to work, study or children on access and the applicant has to travel more than 10 miles each way and there is no reasonable means of transport.

• Where applicants, age over 65, would benefit from the company and support of living in sheltered housing and currently do not live in sheltered housing.

• Applicants are isolated from local amenities ie bus stop, general shop, post office.

• A move is required due to a relationship breakdown, this includes where applicants are staying with family and friends and have been asked to leave (evidence will be required).

• Where an applicant can no longer afford to stay in private rented accommodation. ie is spending 50% or more of their net income on rent (evidence required).

   

Overcrowding/under-occupation

An award will be made in this category if an applicant’s current home is overcrowded and there are more people in their household than there is accommodation for.

 

Alternatively, a pass will be awarded where someone is living in accommodation that is too big for them and they wish to move to a smaller property.

 

Overcrowding – Assessment will be made following the occupancy levels below:

Size of family	Number of bedrooms
1 person/couple	1 or 2 bedrooms
Adult/couple with 1 child	2 bedrooms
Adult/couple with 2 children*	2 or 3 bedrooms
Adult/couple with 3 or more children*	3 or 4 bedrooms

*Depending on the age and sex of the children:

A Silver pass will be awarded where:

• 2 or more additional bedrooms are required or

• applicants are living in 1 bedroom accommodation and have to share the bedroom with a child under the age of 16

   

A Bronze pass will be awarded where: 1 extra bedroom is needed.

 

Under-occupation

A Silver pass will be awarded where: applicants currently living in larger accommodation, (having two or more spare bedrooms), want to move to a smaller property.

A Bronze pass will be awarded where: applicants currently living in larger accommodation, (having one spare bedroom), want to move to a smaller property.

 

Condition of Property

If a property is in a poor condition, through no fault of the applicant, or is lacking facilities a pass will be awarded based on the number of facilities lacking. The following factors will be taken into consideration:

• Structural problems

• Rising/penetrating damp

• No piped water supply

• No inside WC

• No working bath/shower

• Major repairs required

• No central heating

• No hot water

• No cooking facilities

 

A Silver pass will be awarded where: 3 or more of the above factors are lacking.

A Bronze pass will be awarded where: 1 or 2 of the above factors are lacking. Supporting evidence may be required.