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Emergency and temporary accommodation

If you are experiencing or at risk of homelessness or domestic abuse, we can help.

If you are homeless or being threatened with homelessness, you should contact the housing department at your local council immediately.

Do not leave it until the last minute, and do not permanently leave your home until you are legally obliged to do so (usually by court order) as this may prove to be detrimental to any application for assistance that you make.

Our charity, Key Unlocking Futures, can support you if you are experiencing or at risk of homelessness or domestic abuse. 

 

Where to get help

If you are homeless or being threatened with homelessness, you should contact the housing department at your local council immediately.

South Ribble Borough Council’s Housing Team
01772 436756

Chorley Borough Council’s Housing Team
01257 515142

Preston Council's Housing Team
01772 906412 (out of hours: 01772 906014)

Blackpool Council's Housing Team
01253 477760 (out of hours 01253 477600)

Fylde Council's Housing Team
0333 3204 555 (out of hours 01253 642111)

Children’s Social Care (for people under 18)
0845 6021043

 

Find your council

 

Our charity, Key Unlocking Futures, can support you if you are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

 

Our charity, Key Unlocking Futures, can support you if you are experiencing domestic abuse. 

Women experiencing domestic abuse can also contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247 to talk in strict confidence and to get advice.

Men experiencing domestic violence can contact the Men's Advice Line on 0808 801 0327.

Useful links

   

Emergency and temporary accommodation

Foundations and Inn2 provide accommodation and related services for young people aged 16 and 17 and adults aged 18 and over.

Each of the 22 self-contained one-bedroom flats has a lounge, kitchen and bathroom. There are indoor and outdoor communal areas where residents can socialise.

The accommodation does not offer emergency bed placements.

Tenants are supported throughout their stay to live independently and maintain a tenancy when they leave. The support offered includes:

  • Help with managing finances and benefit claims
  • Assistance with domestic and life skills
  • Help to find a job or further education
  • Assistance in gaining access to other services
  • Preparation for permanent housing
  • Help and support with personal issues.

Residents are accepted at Foundations and Inn2 by referral from Preston City Council and The Foxton Centre for the Inn2 Rough Sleeper’s initiative scheme.

The criteria for Foundations and Inn2 are that you are single-priority homeless, aged 18+ or over, and have support needs on housing-related issues.

 

The Bridge and Parker House provide accommodation and related services for young people and adults aged 16 - 25.

The Bridge has ten self-contained flats with a bathroom, kitchen and lounge. The scheme has an on-site security officer at night to provide residents with a safe and secure environment. Parker House offers eight units of accommodation. 

The schemes do not offer emergency bed placements.

Residents are supported throughout their stay to live independently and maintain their tenancy when they leave. The support offered includes:

  • Help with managing finances and benefit claims
  • Assistance with domestic and life skills
  • Help to find a job or further education
  • Assistance in gaining access to other services
  • Preparation for permanent housing
  • Help and support with personal issues.

Tenants are accepted at The Bridge and Parker House by referral from Social Care Team at Lancashire County Council and Chorley Borough Council.

Our charity, Key Unlocking Futures, helps people who have experienced or are at risk of domestic abuse and violence.

We support people across Chorley and South Ribble to take back control and build brighter futures for themselves and their families.

We also operate a 24-hour domestic abuse helpline for people in South Ribble and Chorley.

Please note that in life-threatening or dangerous situations, you must always contact 999.

We offer inclusive, non-judgemental and respectful services to anyone who needs us regardless of background, race, ethnicity, age, gender expression, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or age.

If you are suffering from abuse at home or you know someone who is, please call our domestic abuse helpline to speak to an advisor in confidence on 01772 435865. The line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Get help from Key now

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Help and support

People who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence and abuse can access help from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Domestic violence and abuse is an ongoing problem in our society, with far-reaching and devastating impacts. The government’s DWP has a range of measures designed to support people who flee violent and abusive households. Here’s a summary of the help available.

Talk to a work coach at a jobcentre about the domestic violence and abuse to receive additional support from DWP.

You can request to have an appointment with a work coach in a private room.

Find your local jobcentre.

You will need to provide evidence of any domestic violence or abuse to receive support from DWP.

You’ll need written evidence from a person acting in an official capacity. A person ‘acting in an official capacity’ means a professional, such as a police officer or a social worker.

You must provide your evidence to the jobcentre as soon as possible, but no later than one calendar month after you first informed them about the domestic violence and abuse.

There is special provision for when you’re temporarily absent from your home through fear of domestic violence and abuse.

If you intend to return to your former home, you can receive Housing Benefit for both a former permanent home and temporary accommodation. All accommodation must meet the Housing Benefit conditions.

It will be paid:

  • for up to 52 weeks within England, Scotland and Wales
  • for up to 26 weeks outside England, Scotland and Wales

If you have been a victim of domestic violence and abuse, you can have a break from job seeking and work preparation requirements for up to 13 weeks to give you the space and time needed to stabilise your life.

You must tell a jobcentre about the domestic violence and abuse in an interview with a work coach, either face-to-face or by telephone. The initial four-week break starts on this date.

If you’ve left an abusive relationship, your work coach can help you to open a new claim as a single claimant. From this moment your ex-partner will not have access to any information about your new claim.

If you’ve left an abusive relationship, you can get a rapid advance of up to 100% of your expected Universal Credit monthly entitlement.

If you have been a victim of domestic violence and abuse when claiming Universal Credit, you will not have to take on any work-related requirements for 13 weeks, providing certain circumstances apply and required evidence is provided.

If you’re the main carer of a child up to 16 years of age, who is in considerable distress due to domestic violence and abuse, you can have a temporary break from work-related requirements. For example, if there is significant disruption to your normal childcare responsibilities and there is a need to provide additional care and support.

There is special provision for the housing element of Universal Credit when you’re temporarily absent from your home through fear of domestic violence and abuse.

If you intend to return to your former home, you can receive the housing element of Universal Credit for both a former permanent home and temporary accommodation.

If you claim Universal Credit as a couple and because of fear of domestic violence and abuse, you wish to manage your money yourself, you can apply for an Alternative Payment Arrangement.

Universal Credit does not pay you an additional amount for a third or subsequent child born on or after 6 April 2017, unless special circumstances apply.

Housing support for exempt accommodation will be excluded from the calculation of the benefit cap for victims for domestic violence and abuse.

DWP provides funding for Discretionary Housing Payments which are available from your local authority and are aimed at a number of groups likely to be affected by welfare reforms.

If you have come to the UK on a family visa as a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner and you need to leave home through fear of domestic violence and abuse, you can apply for a Destitution Domestic Violence (DDV) concession.

You do not have to pay the Child Maintenance Service application fee, which is currently £20, if you’re a victim of domestic violence and abuse. Read the Child Maintenance Service guidance to make sure you’re eligible.

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