About medical banding & DFGs
If you need to move for medical reasons, it's important to understand the difference between the emergency medical band and the medical band.
Many people live with physical or mental health conditions that are affected by their housing circumstances. However, emergency medical banding is only awarded in exceptional circumstances where there is clear clinical evidence that a person's current accommodation is causing a serious and immediate risk to their health.
Most applicants who receive medical priority are awarded the medical band rather than the emergency medical band. This is because, while rehousing may improve their health or quality of life, their circumstances do not meet the very high threshold required for emergency priority.
These bands help us prioritise applicants based on the urgency and severity of their health-related housing needs.
Emergency medical band (emergency band)
This band is reserved for the most exceptional and urgent cases, where an applicant’s current accommodation is having a serious and immediate impact on their physical or mental health. Rehousing must be essential and urgently required to prevent serious harm, significant deterioration in health or a crisis.
To qualify for the emergency medical band, we must receive clear clinical evidence demonstrating that the person needs to move urgently to protect their health.
The need to move cannot be based on preference, general wellbeing or a belief that different accommodation would be beneficial. The evidence must come from an appropriate medical professional, usually a specialist, and clearly demonstrate that remaining in the current home presents a serious risk to the person’s health.
We may send any evidence you provide for independent review to Now Medical, an independent clinical assessment service, to ensure we are making fair and balanced decisions.
If a medical priority is awarded for a specific type of property (for example, ground floor or level access accommodation), the applicant will only be eligible for that type of home under the emergency medical band.
Examples include:
- Physical health: A person with a severe mobility condition who cannot safely access essential facilities in their current home, and whose specialist confirms that remaining there puts them at risk of injury or worsening health.
- Mental health: A person who has recently been detained under the Mental Health Act and whose psychiatrist confirms that returning to their current home is likely to trigger a serious deterioration in their mental health or lead to readmission to hospital. In these circumstances, an urgent move may be considered essential to reduce the immediate risk to their wellbeing - find out more.
Medical band (band 1)
The medical band is for applicants whose current housing situation is negatively affecting their physical or mental health, but not to the level that requires an urgent move.
In these cases, rehousing would help to alleviate or improve the medical condition, but it is not considered critical or life-altering in the immediate term.
Like with the emergency band, medical priority may still be awarded for a specific property type, and the applicant will only be eligible for homes that match that requirement.
An example might be someone with arthritis who finds stairs painful but is still able to manage, and where their GP supports a move to a ground floor property to improve daily living.
Accessing care and treatment
We recognise that some applicants may wish to move closer to family members, carers, healthcare providers, hospitals or specialist treatment services. In many cases, this may be beneficial and may help an applicant maintain their independence and wellbeing.
Where the primary reason for the move is to be closer to care or treatment, applications will normally be considered under the hardship criteria (band 2).
The emergency medical (emergency band) or medical band (band 1) will only be considered where there is evidence that the applicant's inability to access essential care or treatment from their current location is causing, or is likely to cause, a life threatening or significant impact on their health.
In deciding whether a higher medical priority should be awarded, we will consider:
- whether the care or treatment is essential rather than desirable
- whether it is unavailable or inaccessible from the applicant's current location
- whether there are reasonable alternatives, including transport, community services, family care arrangements, social care provision or locally available treatment
- whether there is evidence of an assessed care need or ongoing clinical involvement; and
- whether an appropriate medical professional confirms that relocating is necessary because other reasonable options are unavailable.
We will not award medical (band 1) or emergency medical (emergency band) priority solely because an applicant would prefer to live closer to relatives, carers, treatment facilities or care networks. Evidence must demonstrate that the required care or treatment cannot reasonably be accessed from their current location and that relocation is necessary to meet that need.
We will assess all available evidence. This may include medical reports, assessments of care needs, details of formal care arrangements, evidence of ongoing specialist involvement, disability-related benefits, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Carer's Allowance. Whilst no single piece of evidence is required, and the absence of benefits or formal care arrangements will not automatically prevent an award, we would normally expect to see objective evidence demonstrating a significant health or care need and why that need cannot reasonably be met from the applicant's current location.
Examples
| Emergency medical band (emergency band) |
An applicant receives life-sustaining treatment several times each week at a specialist hospital within the district. Their consultant confirms that, because of the severity of their condition, travelling from their current address is no longer medically sustainable and places them at immediate risk of serious harm. No equivalent treatment is available closer to their current home and an urgent move is required to enable continued access to essential treatment. |
| Medical band (band 1) | An applicant has a progressive neurological condition and relies heavily on regular care from close family members living within the district. Medical evidence confirms that this care is required to manage their condition and maintain independence. The applicant is unable to drive, cannot safely use public transport due to the effects of their condition and does not have access to suitable alternative transport. Medical evidence also confirms that the frequency and nature of the care required cannot reasonably be met through occasional family visits, community services or local care arrangements. Relocating closer to their care network is therefore necessary to enable them to access the care they need. Whilst the circumstances have a significant impact on the applicant's wellbeing and independence, they do not present an immediate risk to health and therefore do not meet the threshold for emergency medical priority. |
| Hardship band (band 2) | An applicant wishes to move into the district to be closer to family members who provide regular hands-on care including shopping, attending appointments and maintaining general wellbeing. Whilst being closer to this hands-on care would be beneficial, it remains accessible from the applicant's current home, including through family visits, public transport links and access to local services. These circumstances may justify consideration under the hardship criteria, but would not normally qualify for medical or emergency medical priority. |
In considering applications relating to access to care or treatment, we will distinguish between:
- applicants for whom living closer to essential hands-on care would be beneficial or more convenient (normally Hardship);
- applicants for whom relocation is necessary to access ongoing care and maintain their health or independence because no reasonable alternatives exist (normally Medical); and
- applicants for whom the inability to access essential treatment or care places them at immediate risk of serious harm or deterioration in health (normally Emergency Medical).
This distinction helps ensure that the highest priority is reserved for applicants with the most urgent and evidenced health-related housing needs whilst recognising that a move closer to care may still constitute hardship in appropriate circumstances.
Why clinical evidence matters
Properties such as ground floor and level access homes are in very limited supply, so it’s essential that we allocate them fairly and based on verified medical need. If you believe you or a family member needs to be considered a medical banding, we strongly advise you to:
- speak to your GP or medical specialist to request a letter or report that clearly explains why you must move for medical reasons.
- when requesting medical evidence, it’s important that the information provided is detailed and specific. A general letter stating something like “my patient says moving would be better for them” is not sufficient.
- the evidence must explain why you medically need to move, and what impact your current housing is having on your health and wellbeing - for example, whether it is making a condition worse, preventing recovery, or causing significant risk or harm.
- submit this evidence with your application or as soon as possible.
Without this level of supporting evidence, we are unable to award a medical banding.
We may send any evidence you provide for independent review to Now Medical, an independent clinical assessment service, to ensure we are making fair and balanced decisions.
If you’re unsure what kind of information to provide, or need help understanding your current banding, please contact us.
Disabled facilities grants
Even if you are given the emergency medical band, it is unlikely you will find a home straight away - view our average waiting times.
An alternative to moving is to consider applying for a disabled facilities grant - these grants are designed to support adults and children with care needs who need to improve access in and around their homes, so they can remain living independently.
Examples of adaptations include improved wheelchair access, adapting a bathroom or bedroom, or making improvements to ensure residents can access their garden.
