Armed Forces Outreach Service helps overseas Service person access social housing in UK

January 19, 2022

A serving person posted overseas had challenges registering, viewing, and signing up for housing in a specific local authority.

What was the situation?

A member of the Armed Forces, based in Germany, was due to be discharged. Upon his discharge, he wanted to move back to his home area in the North-East of England. However, he was unable to access and progress an application to the local authority for social housing, as he was living abroad with the Armed Forces. This meant he could not register for social housing, as he had an overseas address. Also, he could not view any properties in person, and he could not complete the sign-up process in person before his return to England.

What made this Covenant disadvantage?

Due to being posted overseas by the Armed Forces, this serving person faced greater challenges than civilians in the UK in searching for, applying for, and securing UK social housing. His overseas posting meant he could not register and manage his own housing application independently and he had to rely on virtual viewings. UK-based civilians can complete this process themselves without additional support.

What was done to help?

His Service-related disadvantage was resolved through support from the North-East England Armed Forces Outreach Service:

• The Outreach Service registered him for social housing on his behalf.
• The Lettings Team also helped with this process, using their council offices as his UK-based contact address.
• Once a property was identified, a virtual viewing took place, and he was sent photos and videos.
• A family member also viewed the property on his behalf.
• Property sign-up was completed via email.
• Keys were in a lock box for him to collect upon his return.

What was the outcome?

This member of the Armed Forces overcame the challenges of finding social housing in the UK while abroad. He was able to register, bid for, and sign for a property before returning to the UK. Some of these practices have been adopted into mainstream working practice for those applying for social housing while based overseas.

Disclaimer: This case study is part of the Covenant case study database, which has been developed to illustrate examples of good practice for organisations in scope of the Covenant. It is intended to act as a guide for good delivery, providing practical insight into how fairness for the Armed Forces community can be achieved. Delivery of the Covenant may vary across the UK, so there is no guarantee that the solution outlined in this case study will be available in your area.