Homeless?
What to do first, and what to do next
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​What to do first if you're a homeless adult:
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Speak to the council and let them know that you are homeless, share information about your circumstances and health to help determine what different types of support you are eligible for.
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Report your homelessness on StreetLink - a UK wide non-emergency service connecting rough sleepers with support.
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Access other support services in your area, such as homelessness charities, youth centres (if you are a young person), community hubs, support charities and groups. There are many small (and large) charities and organisations that seek to provide help to people who are in difficulty.
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If there is not a homelessness charity in your area, there may be other community focused organisations that provide some help around housing and homelessness, and may be able to support you to approach or be referred into non-council housing providers, including supported accommodation.
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​​​​​Click here to jump to the Types of Housing page for more information on different types of accommodation. ​
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What to do next:
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Get help with food by accessing community projects, soup banks and food parcel services. Speak to other people who are there to gain information about other local support resources.
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Check out Shelter, a national homelessness charity with good online resources and a telephone helpline open from Monday to Friday, 8am - 6pm. You can call them on 0800 800 4444
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Find out what financial support you are eligible for; e.g Universal Credit including UC Housing Element (which has replaced Housing Benefit for most people), Discretionary Housing Payment (money that could help you cover the cost of a move-in deposit and first months rent. You can also look into Crisis payments and Community Support Grants from your local council as well as grant support from charities.
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Click here to jump to more about finding financial support or here to go straight to a benefit calculator.
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Use social media to search for groups focused on helping people in their community, (Facebook often has 'Here to help in ..(Location)' and similarly named groups). This might allow you to find out about small local support organisations and access other useful local knowledge. However, be cautious of any direct offers of a place to stay from people that you don't know and do not share your personal information.
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Spend time in your local library, they may have information and resources that can assist you and they can also provide a safe and warm place to spend a little time. Some libraries also allow you to use a computer to access the internet for free for 1 hour per day.
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Find a public place, support centre or cafe that provides free WIFI and is in a location accessible at any time of day or night (e.g. on a street rather than in a shopping centre). Save the login details, as most places leave their internet turned on at night, so if there is a good signal you can often get online from outside the building after opening hours. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Homelessness support differs depending on a number of factors about you, this includes:
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Age
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​If you are under 18 then your Local Authority (Council) has a legal duty to provide you with somewhere safe to stay through Social Services, this is because you are legally a child and you are protected by the Childrens Act 1989; if you are homeless then you are not safe and are considered as being 'in need'.
This duty can extend beyond the age of 18, for example if you are a care leaver or you have a learning difficulty, you may be eligible for different support to other adults.
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Click here to jump to essential information if you are under 18 and homeless.
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If you are over 18 and approach your council as you are homeless you will generally be supported by the team or department that deals with homeless adults, but in some cases there are other provisions for young people over the age of 18, and if you are a care leaver, disabled or elderly you may receive additional support. ​
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Health and Disability
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If you have a long term health condition, and/or are disabled, struggle with your mental health, have a learning disability, or are neurodiverse, you should share this information when you visit the council and any housing support services.
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You may be eligible for supported accommodation providers and/or be given a higher priority for council accommodation.
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Where you live
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Whilst the relevant local authority will always have a duty of care for anyone under 18, and there will be separate available support for homeless adults, the availability of accommodation is often limited due to a lack of available housing, particularly for long-term options such as as council housing.
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Cities and large towns are likely to have a range of housing associations, charities and other support organisations that provide housing and homelessness related support. The council may refer you to some of these directly but you can also seek information from other trusted sources who may be able to put you in touch with local charities and other support services in your local area.
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Sourcing homeless accommodation directly from your council as an adult can sometimes be difficult. Depending on what is provided in your local authority area, and factors such as your health and wellbeing, you might be placed in a hostel.
In some hostels you have to leave during the day and can return in the evening to see if a bed is available again. In others you have your own room and can spend time there during the day. The type of accommodation that you are placed in will depend on what is available in your area, as well as your needs and vulnerabilities.
Sometimes you might have to travel to a different town or city within the same local authority to access somewhere to stay. Smaller towns and cities may use small hotels and guest houses to provide temporary accommodation.
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For housing provision that is not temporary, due to a lack of available housing within councils all over the UK, you will often be supported to access housing from an alternative provider such as a housing association rather than directly from the council.
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Local connection
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If you are over 18 you usually have to have a 'local connection' to the place where you are seeking accommodation for the council to offer you somewhere to stay, meaning that you should have already lived in an area or areas under that Local Authority for a period of time (usually a minimum of six months), to be offered housing there.
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There are some exceptions to this, for example if you have fled from abuse, are vulnerable, or if it is very cold outside, you may be offered accommodation without local connection.
For more on cold weather provision see SWEP.
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Charities, Housing Associations and other organisations supporting people who are homeless are less likely to require you to have a local connection. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Essential information for under 18s
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If you are under 18 and homeless then you must contact Social Services at your local council as soon as possibleI. If you are not sure who your council is you can check it here.
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Generally, if you have chosen to leave home but are allowed to return and it would not be dangerous for you to do so, then you will not be considered homeless. You should be prepared to be asked to share information about your situation if something means that you cannot go home.
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The council, also know as the Local Authority, has 'duty of care' over persons under the age of 18, so if you are without a place to stay they are obliged to offer you accommodation in order to keep you safe.
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There will be information on your local council's website about how to get in touch with Social Services or you can use a search engine to look for this.
There will often be a different telephone number if you need to get in touch after usual office opening times or at the weekend, both numbers should be shared on the council's website under Social Services or Safeguarding.
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On weekdays 9am-5pm, your council will likely have one mainline telephone number for all types of enquiries, you can call this and provide some brief information to be directed to the right department if you are not sure which other number to call. ​
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When you ring them it can sometimes take a while be directed through to the right person, and you might have to explain your situation more than once. This can be frustrating but try and be patient so that they can help.
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It is best to make contact as early as possible on the day that you become homeless, so that they are more easily able to arrange you accommodation for that night, this can make the process more straight forward as other services are also open and can assist.
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During the daytime, and if you know where to go to, it is often best to also attend in person to present as homeless. However if you call when you are on your way it may allow them to arrange someone to speak with you and also let you know how long that you might need to wait to be seen.
SWEP
S.W.E.P. stands for Severe Weather Emergency Protocol.
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This is a provision that councils should put in in very cold weather (usually when it is forecast to be below 0 for 24 hours or more).
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Under SWEP, anyone who is homeless should be made an offer of shelter or accommodation in order to prevent risk to life. This is regardless of local connection. However this is not legislative - so whilst councils should do it to prevent people from dying in cold weather, legally they are not forced to do so.
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Provisions for SWEP vary depending on where you live and what your local council offer. This often includes outreach services which will visit people who are rough sleeping to help them access support, however an offer of accommodation is not guaranteed.
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Speak to your council and local support services to find out about the cold weather support for your location.