Durham County Council has changed the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. From 1 April 2026, all working‑age residents will need to contribute towards their Council Tax.

We want to make sure you have the right advice and support. If you’re unsure how these changes might affect you, or what to do next, please contact Durham County Council on 03000 262 0000.

04 Sept 2023

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NHC bursary scheme helps young mum become self employed

Spennymoor

Danielle McGee from Spennymoor, successfully returned to work with the help of our Livin Futures work and training support team.

Working with Lisa Newham (Livin Futures advisor) Danielle was able to set personal targets to become a self-employed professional seamstress, and work in her family run local alterations store, Devere located in Spennymoor.

Having secured a £500 NHC Bursary, Lisa worked with Danielle to realise her training aspirations and purchase a new industrial sewing machine which will be vital for her progress in her new career.

Danielle said "I'm so thankful to Lisa and the team for helping me to get the bursary. I was really excited when I won the bursary because, with the new machine, I can learn whilst working around my family. It's a career that I'll be hoping to do for years to come"

Helen Johnson, Livin Futures Manager said "We are extremely proud of the attitude and determination that Danielle has shown since working with us. With our support, Danielle has undertaken a sewing qualification and secured a grant to purchase an industrial sewing machine, which has allowed her to become self-employed in her dream career"

Find out more about our work and training support below.

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.