Documents

A letter notifying a homeless applicant that their application has been withdrawn, where:

• no section 189A assessment has been carried out, and
• no section 184 decision has been issued confirming what duty, if any, is owed.

Sometimes a homeless application is taken, but the application does not progress because the request for assistance is withdrawn.

This letter should be used where such a withdrawal has happened before you've decided whether the applicant is eligible and either homeless or threatened with homelessness.

For example the applicant may, having received initial advice, decide they don't wish to pursue the application. Another example would be when a s.213B referral is received from a public authority but you're been unable to contact the applicant and confirm their circumstances.

The letter includes alternative sections of text according to whether:

• the applicant explicitly confirmed their wish to withdraw the application, or
• there was no explicit withdrawal; rather you have inferred an intention to withdraw, e.g. because contact with the applicant has been lost.

There is no explicit statutory duty to confirm this decision in writing. However, it is often advisable to do so, since doing so:

• Confirms you have made such the decision, and
• (Hopefully!) demonstrates the decision was made lawfully.

If you intend to imply a withdrawal of the application it is usually advisable to first send a 'minded to find' letter (see 'Related Documents').