Housing
Living in a safe and secure home is as important for people with a learning disability as it is for everyone else, but finding a place to live can be difficult.
People with a learning disability have a right to live in the community A community is the people and places in an area. with everyone else and make choices about the way they live.
Independent living and supported living
Our dedicated specialists can help you understand more about housing options.
Supported housing
We work together with social and private landlords to find a home that meets the specific needs of a person with a learning disability so they can live as independently as possible.
Easy read guides about housing
If you have a learning disability, you can download and read our Easy Read Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing. guides to help you make decisions on the issues that matter to you.
If you are a family member or carer of someone with a learning disability you can also use the guides by downloading or printing them out and going through it together with the person you support.
Housing: Money and rent
Housing: Problems
Other housing Easy Reads
The Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP)
If you receive Universal Credit or Housing Benefit but still struggle to pay your
rent
Rent is the money that you pay to live in your home when you have a tenancy agreement. Your home belongs to a landlord, but you have a right to live there as long as you follow the rules that are in your tenancy agreement.
, you can apply for a
Discretionary
Discretionary means it is up to somebody to decide if you get something.
Housing Payment (DHP) through your local
council
A council is also called a local authority. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. To apply, complete a DHP form on your council’s
website
A website is a page you can go to on the internet like Google or YouTube.
or at their office, explaining why you need extra
financial
Financial means anything that is to do with money. It is used to describe how people, businesses, or governments get money and how they use it
support. If you need help with the application, you can ask the council, a
social worker
A social worker is someone who can help you get the support you need. Social workers usually work for your local council.
, or a family member to assist you.
Changing accommodation
We've made a downloadable resource which looks at the situation where an adult relative or friend with a learning disability, wants or needs to move from their current accommodation and what you can do to support them.
Questions and answers about housing for people with a learning disability
We have created 3 Easy Reads about help to pay your rent:
- How to manage your money to help pay your rent: Information on how to manage all your monthly costs like food, energy, clothes, going out and travel to make sure you have enough money left to pay your rent.
- How to get benefit money to help pay your rent: Information about money from
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. They decide how much tax people should pay for things and how things like the National Health Service should work.
that some people can get to help pay rent and other important living costs called Universal Credit.
- Getting extra help to pay your rent from the council: Information about how to claim for Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) which comes from your local council.
A
tenancy agreement
A Tenancy agreement is where the person renting a house, and the person who owns the house, agree on things like how much rent to pay, who will mend things like the cooker if they go wrong, and whether you are allowed pets.
is a legal contract between you and your landlord.
It lists all the rules you need to follow to live in your rented home, and all the rules the landlord needs to follow.
Yes. A tenancy agreement is a legal contract between you and your landlord (the person who owns the house that you pay rent to).
If you do not follow the rules in your tenancy agreement, you might be asked to leave your home.
Your landlord usually has to fix any big problems in your home but will not be responsible for fixing everything that breaks in your home.
Your landlord will not be responsible for small jobs like lightbulbs or damage made by you.
If something in your home needs to be fixed, it's best to check your tenancy agreement as that should tell you what your landlord should fix and what you should fix.
Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) is help you can get to pay the interest on:
- your mortgage or
- a loan to help you make changes to your home.
A mortgage is like a loan of money that people get from a bank or building society to help them buy their own home. It is borrowed money that they pay back to the bank or building society in smaller amounts each month.
You usually have to pay some extra money as well as the money you borrowed. This extra money is called interest.
Sometimes people who live close to each other can disagree on things and fall out.
We have made 2 easy reads to help advise you what you can do to make things better:
What to do if you have a problem with your neighbours
What to do if you have a problem with a housemate.
An assisted bin collection can help if you can not move your bins or recycling boxes to the pavement to be collected.
You can only apply for an assisted bin collection if you have no-one who can help you to put your bins and recycling boxes out.
Contact your local council to find out if you can have an assisted bin collection.
Your frequently asked questions and our answers about housing can be found on our website.
We hold the Advice Quality Standard so you can be sure about the quality of the advice we provide.
The Mencap helpline is a member of Advice UK in England.