Get a home that's right for you, with care if you need it

If you have a disability or illness, moving home might let you look after yourself. Or you can get your own home where there is care or support day and night.

Move home to live more independently with a disability

You can think about moving instead of adapting your home for your disability or health condition. It can be a way for you to more easily look after yourself.

Apply for council social housing to meet your needs. Or buy or rent a home right for you. You can search for homes suitable for wheelchair users, like a bungalow.

If your home is not suitable for you:

• speak to a social care worker if you have one or, if not, contact our Adult Access Team to tell us about your care needs and ask for support
• get advice on whether to move from our service to help people live in homes right for them, Dorset Accessible Homes, on 0333 003 0010
• check if you might qualify to join the waiting list for social housing
• if you already live in social housing, look at what homes you might be able to swap yours for (HomeSwapper)
• look at Dorset bungalows to rent (Rightmove), or see bungalows to rent (Zoopla)

Move to a home with care or support for your disability or illness

If you need more support to stay independent, you can get this in a new home.

You can have your own home in a community with help on hand 24 hours a day with supported housing. You are eligible if you qualify for care and support.

Or, if you own your home, a home with support to buy or part-buy (shared ownership) might be for you.

Find out how by:

• seeing what living independently with support in a Dorset home is like (supported housing)
• talking to your social worker about your housing options, if you have one
• asking us to look at your care needs if we have not done so, or you have new care needs. Call us on 01305 221 016 or contact us online
• finding out about extra care and retirement village homes (Elderly Accommodation Council)
• looking at Dorset homes with care to buy, rent, part-buy or for social rent (Elderly Accommodation Council) or find a home with support on Retirement Homesearch
• completing a housing application to apply if you find an affordable home with support

Get help to move to a home that is right for you

If moving might meet your needs, find out if you can get financial help to move.

You could get a loan to help with moving costs if you get income support or pension credit. Find out if you qualify for a budgeting loan (Gov.uk).

If you get housing benefit or universal credit, you might qualify for help with moving costs or deposit. Find out if Discretionary Housing Payments could help.

And you might get financial help with moving if you are in social housing and have more bedrooms than you need. Find out if you might qualify for a cash incentive:

• if your landlord is Sovereign and you find a suitable home through the housing register, call on 0300 5000 926
• if your landlord is Magna, and you can swap or find a new home
• or if you have another social landlord, you can ask if any help is available