Information for Armed Forces Applicants
In line with Government guidance and the Armed Forces Covenant, we welcome applications from serving members of HM Armed Forces and veterans.
Qualification for the Housing Register
The following groups of Armed Forces applicants automatically meet the local residency requirement* and are eligible to register:
- persons who are serving in the regular forces or have done so in the five years before their application for housing;
- bereaved spouses or civil partners of someone serving in the regular forces where their spouse or partner’s death was attributable (wholly or partly) to their service and their entitlement to live in Ministry of Defence accommodation is coming to an end;
- seriously injured, ill or disabled reservists (or former reservists) whose injury, illness or disability is attributable wholly or partly to their service.
Additionally, in response to the Derbyshire Armed Forces Covenant, applicants who wish to settle in the Home-Options area following a divorce or separation within a service family, do not need to meet the Local Residency Requirement in order to register.
*There is no local residency requirement for Chesterfield.
Local Connection
When we give priority for housing, we give first priority to applicants who have a local connection to the area.
For Armed Forces applicants, we give local connection to the following groups:
- persons who are serving in the regular forces or who have served in the regular forces within the previous five years
- persons who recently ceased, or will cease to be entitled, to reside in armed forces accommodation provided following the death of that person’s spouse or civil partner where
(i) the spouse or civil partner has served in the regular forces; and
(ii) their death was attributable (wholly or partly) to that service; or
(iii) is serving or has served in the reserve forces and who is suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which is attributable (wholly or partly) to that service.
Local connection will also be granted to divorced or separated spouses or civil partners of armed forces personnel who are required to move out of armed forces accommodation.
Additional Preference for Armed Forces
We give additional preference (Band A priority) to certain groups of Armed Forces applicants. To meet the criteria, applicants must be in urgent housing need e.g.:
- those who need to move urgently because of a life threatening illness or sudden disability (Band A-1 Urgent Medical Priority), or
- families in severe overcrowding which poses a serious health hazard (Band A-2 Major Property Factors), or
- those who are homeless and require urgent re-housing as a result of violence or threats of violence, including intimidated witnesses, and those escaping serious anti-social behaviour or domestic violence (Band A-4a. Urgent Social Priority - Personal protection/harassment).
Homelessness
If you are threatened with homelessness please contact your local authority who will help you.
Local Information
To find out more about the areas we cover, click on the links below.
Amber Valley (www.ambervalley.gov.uk)
Chesterfield (www.chesterfield.gov.uk)
Derbyshire Dales (www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk)
Erewash (www.erewash.gov.uk)
High Peak (www.highpeak.gov.uk)
Staffordshire Moorlands (www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk)
Further Information about Your Housing Options
For further information, please contact the Home-Options in the area in which you are looking to live.
Contact details for the local teams are available here: Contact details for Home-Options Teams.