What help can I get if I'm homeless?

For people who are legally homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Applies to: England Last checked against official sources: 30 September 2026

In England, your council must help if you're legally homeless or will be within 8 weeks. You may count as homeless if you can't get into your home, it's not safe to stay, or conditions are very poor.

Help can include advice, emergency housing or support to stay in your home.
You may be in priority need if you're pregnant, have children, are 16 or 17, or are vulnerable.
Free legal advice may be available.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Wales: Check gov.wales for Wales
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

Council must help
Within 8 weeks counts
Priority need rules

What counts as homeless

You do not have to be sleeping on the street. You may be legally homeless if:

you have no legal right to live anywhere
you cannot get into your home, for example your landlord has locked you out
it is not reasonable to stay, for example because you are at risk of violence or abuse
you have to live apart from your family because there is nowhere suitable for you all
you are living in very poor conditions, such as overcrowding

The help councils must give in England

The law sets out stages of help. Which one applies depends on your situation.

Your situation	What the council must do
You will lose your home within 56 days (8 weeks)	Work with you to try to stop you becoming homeless. This is called the prevention duty.
You are already homeless	Help you find somewhere to live. This is called the relief duty.
You may be homeless, eligible and in priority need	Give you somewhere to stay straight away (interim accommodation) while it helps you

Help can include advice, emergency housing, support to find a longer term home, or help to stay where you are.

Who is in priority need

Priority need decides who gets emergency housing. You may be in priority need if you:

are pregnant, or have dependent children living with you
are 16 or 17
are under 21 and were in care between the ages of 16 and 18
are assessed by the council as vulnerable
are homeless because of a flood, fire or other disaster

How to get help

Contact your council's housing or homelessness team as early as possible. Do not wait until you have to leave. If you have an eviction notice, take it with you.
Tell them about anyone who lives with you, your income, and any health or safety worries.
The council will look into your case and tell you what help it owes you.

If you have nowhere to stay tonight, tell the council it is an emergency.

If you disagree with the council's decision

Ask for a review within 21 days of being told the decision.
If the review goes against you, you can appeal to the county court on a point of law. The appeal must be made within 21 days of the review decision.

You may be able to get free legal advice through legal aid. Check if you can get it on GOV.UK. Citizens Advice can also help for free.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The rules are different in each nation. Get help from:

Scotland: see the homelessness pages on mygov.scot.
Wales: see the homelessness pages on GOV.WALES.
Northern Ireland: see the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's homelessness pages.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Contact your council

Common questions

Do I have to be sleeping rough to be legally homeless?

No. You may be legally homeless if you cannot get into your home, it is not reasonable to stay because of violence or abuse, or you are living in very poor conditions such as overcrowding.

Will the council give me somewhere to stay straight away?

The council must arrange interim accommodation if it has reason to believe you may be homeless, eligible for help and in priority need.

How do I challenge a council homelessness decision?

You can ask for a review within 21 days of being told the decision, then appeal to the county court within 21 days of the review decision.

Can I get free legal advice if I am homeless?

You may be able to get free legal advice through legal aid, and Shelter also gives housing advice.

Official sources

1.Help if you're homeless or about to become homelesswww.gov.uk/if-youre-homeless-at-risk-of-homelessness
2.Homelessness code of guidance, chapter 15: accommodation duties and powerswww.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/chapter-15-accommodation-duties-and-powers
3.Homelessness code of guidance, chapter 19: reviews and appealswww.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/chapter-19-review-of-decisions-and-appeals-to-the-county-court

Checked against GOV.UK on 30 September 2026

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