Housing points, or housing banding, are used by local councils to prioritise applicants on their housing register for allocation to social housing. There is no national standard for points totals; each council designs its own scheme within the framework set by the Housing Act 1996 and associated guidance.

How Housing Points Work

Points-based housing registers assign numerical scores to applicants based on their housing circumstances. Different aspects of housing need attract different point values: living in severely overcrowded accommodation earns more points than living in a slightly overcrowded property; having a serious medical condition worsened by current housing earns points; being homeless attracts a high points allocation. The applicant's total score determines their position relative to other applicants in the queue for housing of the type they need.

Some councils use a banding system instead of or alongside points, placing applicants in bands such as A, B, C, and D from highest to lowest need, and within each band allocating properties to the applicant who has waited longest or who has the highest points. The specific system varies by council.

Categories That Earn Points

Typical categories that earn housing points include bedroom deficiency, meaning the applicant needs more bedrooms than they currently have; medical need, where a medical professional has assessed the current housing as harmful to health; overcrowding beyond the statutory standard; insecurity of tenure, such as a notice to quit; homelessness or threat of homelessness; welfare need; and residence within the local authority area for a qualifying period. Some councils also award points for local connection, current social tenancy, and other factors.

Finding the Maximum for Your Council

To find out the maximum points available and how many points you currently have, contact your local council's housing allocations team. Your housing register application should come with documentation of your current banding or points score. If you believe your points have not been correctly calculated, you have the right to a review of your assessment. The council's housing allocations policy document, which is a public document, sets out all the point values assigned to each category of need.

Summary

Housing points systems vary between councils; there is no national maximum. Points are awarded for housing need across categories including overcrowding, medical need, insecurity, and homelessness. Higher points give higher priority for allocation. Contact your local council's housing team to find your current score and the council's specific allocations policy. Points and waiting time together determine when an offer of accommodation is likely.