[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-281485-105":53,"doc-detail-281485-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":120,"head_meta":122,"extra_data":124,"updated_unix":126},105,"en","local-authority-gatekeeping-centrepoint-october-2025","Local Authority Gatekeeping - Centrepoint October 2025","","Briefing addressing local authority gatekeeping within England’s homelessness system under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. It draws on Centrepoint’s Youth Homelessness Databank and Helpline evidence, showing that in 2023/24 a third of young people approaching authorities were not assessed for eligibility, with calls often involving denial of assessments or support. It defines gatekeeping, quantifies its occurrence using Helpline data from Aug 2024–Jul 2025, and outlines the homelessness pathway duties.",{"@graph":63,"@context":119},[64,80,102],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/local-authority-gatekeeping-centrepoint-october-2025/281485/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/local-authority-gatekeeping-centrepoint-october-2025/281485.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Aurora","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-25","2026-09-16",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":101},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",9,{"@type":103,"mainEntity":104},"FAQPage",[105,111,115],{"name":106,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":108},"What does gatekeeping mean in this briefing?","Question",{"text":109,"@type":110},"Gatekeeping is defined as the denial of a homelessness assessment and/or support by local authorities to people who have a right to them.","Answer",{"name":112,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":113},"When does the homelessness process begin and what must councils do?",{"text":114,"@type":110},"The process begins when an individual approaches the local authority and provides information suggesting they may be homeless or at risk. Councils are legally obliged to take a homelessness application.",{"name":116,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What duties apply when someone is at risk of homelessness for the next 56 days?",{"text":118,"@type":110},"The prevention duty applies. The council must take reasonable steps to help the person retain their accommodation or secure alternative housing, including creating a Personal Housing Plan.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":121,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":123,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":125,"site_id":56},281485,1790615301,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":128},{"doc_id":125,"user_id":129,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":101,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":25,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":140,"read_time":47},4810365810221,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Local Authority GAtekeeping  \nCentrepoint October 2025  \nLocal Authority Gatekeeping  \nUnder the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 ( HRA) , everyone in England approaching their local authority for help because they are homeless or at risk of homelessness is entitled to an assessment. However, Centrepoint’s latest Youth Homelessness Databank found that a third of the young people who approached their local authority in England in 2023/24 were not assessed for eligibility. [i]  \nAlthough some of these discrepancies may result from young people not meeting the eligibility threshold for assessment and support, evidence from Centrepoint’s Helpline indicates that many local authorities are employing practices that unfairly restrict access to homelessness services.  \nBetween August 2024-July 2025 , Centrepoint’s Youth Homelessness Helpline supported 5,444 young people. The Centrepoint Helpline provides housing advice in England to young people aged 16-25 or their family and friends over email, webchat, Whatsapp and phone. Centrepoint Helpline Advisors listen to young people and provide them with advice and details of services they can access.  \nUnfortunately, around 1 in 10 calls that the Helpline receives involve gate keeping by local authorities (9 .5 per cent of all calls during August 2024-July 2025) . In this briefing, gate keeping is defined as the denial of a homelessness assessment and/or support by local authorities to people who have a right to them.  \nUsing data collected by the Centrepoint Helpline between August 2023 and July 2025 , the following analysis explores rates of gate keeping over time, by demographics and by gate keeping type. [1]  \n[1] The below data refers to instances of gatekeeping, rather than young people impacted by gatekeeping. A young person can experience gatekeeping more than once.  \n2  \nLocal Authority Duties and Homelessness PAthway  \nApplication  \nThe homelessness process begins when an individual approaches the local authority and provides information indicating they may be homeless or at risk of homelessness. Applications can be made to any department of the local authority and expressed in any form. At this point, the council is legally obliged to take a homelessness application. This initial stage allows the authority to formally record the individual’s circumstances and begin the process of assessing their needs and entitlements. The application is the gateway to all further duties and support.  \nAssessment  \nOnce an application has been made, the council must carry out a thorough assessment of the applicant’s circumstances. This includes establishing their current housing situation, understanding the reasons for homelessness or threatened homelessness, and identifying any vulnerabilities or support needs. The assessment should be conducted promptly, with current guidance recommending a full written decision within 33 working days. During this stage, the council also explores potential options to prevent homelessness where possible.  \nPriority need and interim accommodation  \nPriority need is a legal category that determines who the local council must provide emergency accommodation for if they are homeless. Once the council has reason to believe that an applicant may be homeless, eligible for assistance and have a priority need, they must provide interim accommodation immediately while inquiries are completed. People considered to have priority need include households with dependent children, pregnant women, individuals who are vulnerable due to old age, disability, or another special reason, those who are homeless because of an emergency such as a fire or flood, and certain young people aged 16-17 as well as care leavers under 21.  \nPrevention duty  \nThe prevention duty applies to individuals who are at risk of becoming homeless within the next 56 days. The council must take reasonable steps to help the applicant retain their current accommodation or secure alternative housing. This involve","cbCaiorKr6Ds1d49","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiorKr6Ds1d49","pdf",4399794,"English","# Gatekeeping overview\n## Eligibility assessments and unfair restrictions\n## Helpline data and definition of gatekeeping\n# Local authority duties and homelessness pathway\n## Application\n## Assessment\n## Priority need and interim accommodation\n## Prevention duty\n## Relief duty\n## Local connection\n## Main housing duty\n# Findings","[{\"question\":\"What does gatekeeping mean in this briefing?\",\"answer\":\"Gatekeeping is defined as the denial of a homelessness assessment and/or support by local authorities to people who have a right to them.\"},{\"question\":\"When does the homelessness process begin and what must councils do?\",\"answer\":\"The process begins when an individual approaches the local authority and provides information suggesting they may be homeless or at risk. Councils are legally obliged to take a homelessness application.\"},{\"question\":\"What duties apply when someone is at risk of homelessness for the next 56 days?\",\"answer\":\"The prevention duty applies. The council must take reasonable steps to help the person retain their accommodation or secure alternative housing, including creating a Personal Housing Plan.\"}]","Local Authority Gatekeeping - Centrepoint October 2025 | PDF",1789566427]