Housing

Kinship carers tell us that managing housing applications, alongside the practical changes that come with a child moving in, can feel like a juggling act. This often happens alongside caring responsibilities, court proceedings, and navigating family relationships.

This section is designed to help make things clearer, providing straightforward information about the housing support available to you and how to access it.

Cumbria Choice is a sub-regional partnership between the 2 Unitary Councils and 6 Housing Associations across Cumbria. The partnership was formed to create a single platform where customers can apply for available social housing and be assessed using one policy.

Kinship carers are recognised within the policy through the provision of Band A priority if an applicant is nominated by Children’s Services on the basis that they are foster carers and there is a need to move to a larger home in order to accommodate a looked after child (this would not apply where the home required would be 4 bedrooms or more). This would be by exception only if there was a safeguarding or safety concern associated with the addition of another child/ren into the household sharing existing bedrooms.

Overcrowding would be the more typical reason for kinship carers seeking a transfer or move to a larger property and there is an allocated banding priority for this (Band B) for applicants who are overcrowded.

There could be other reasons for priority banding arising for kinship carers, including those not related to their kinship responsibilities, such as medical need and this would be assessed as per the policy. The children they care for may also be eligible for priority banding based on a medical or welfare need.

How to apply to Cumbria Choice

register an online account at Cumbria Choice
you will receive confirmation of registration by email confirming your unique reference number
log in to your online account using the unique reference number and the memorable date/place you chose and complete an ‘Application for Social Housing’ using the online wizard. When this is done, you'll receive an email confirmation that your application has been submitted. Once the application is processed and activated by the Cumbria Choice partner, you will receive a letter confirming your banding and any next steps (if applicable)
You can then log in to your online account using the unique reference number and the memorable date/place you set up as part of registering your account and view vacant properties you are eligible for
Each property advert contains information about the property and an option to ‘Place Bid’ underneath each advert if you are eligible for that property. This will also indicate your position in the queue at the point of placing the bid
You can log back in to your online account using the unique reference number and the memorable date/place you chose and view your bid history to check your position in the queue or to withdraw bids

If you need support completing your Cumbria Choice application, please speak to your allocated social worker or contact the kinship care team at SGOsupport@cumbria.gov.uk.

Face-to-face appointments to help customers complete application forms are available in exceptional circumstances. Please note that accessing this support may delay your application, as only a limited number of appointments are available.

To arrange an appointment, please contact the relevant partner organisation via Cumbria Choice.

For further detailed information read: Housing and Kinship Care - A Briefing Paper May 2026 (PDF, 330KB)

Homelessness

If a kinship carer applies as homeless, the fact they have dependent children in their care creates an automatic priority need and this would include children they are caring for.

If a kinship carer’s accommodation became unsuitable or unstable (e.g. if notice was served by the landlord) or they became homeless, the council’s statutory homelessness duties would arise, with them being owed a prevention or relief duty to support them to access other, more suitable housing.

If they were homeless on application, they would be provided interim accommodation pending a homeless decision and officers would work with them to relieve their homelessness.

How to access homelessness support

Email: dutytorefer1@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Self referral online: Housing Assistance Referral Portal

By phoning the relevant Triage Service:

Furness: 01229 876 599
Eden: 01768 861 428
South Lakes: 01539 793 199