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.

07 Aug 2023

All news

Support for parents group takes off in Shildon

Shildon

A new group has been launched in Shildon to support Parents of Children with Additional Needs and Disabilities Advice and Support (PANDAS).

Our tenant, Williamena Keal is an active member of the Jubilee Fields stakeholder group and for the past two years and has been working closely with the local community to support The Courts regeneration. Through her work with stakeholders including Durham County Council, Shildon Town Council, Shildon Alive and Jubilee Fields Community Centre, Williamena highlighted a need for a support and activity group for parents/carers of children with additional needs.

Help from the stakeholder group and joint funding, plus the use of our communal lounge at Chestnut Close, Shildon has seen the group grow in popularity.

A networking and information sharing event is taking place on Friday 11 August 2023 at Shildon Railway Institute from 1pm - 4pm, with stands from Durham County Carers, CAMHS, Durham DADlg, SENDias and Wellbeing for Life.

Andy Coulthard, the Community Regeneration Manager for Livin Housing said "Williamena is an excellent example of someone who has true community spirit and delivers on an idea. She has sought support where necessary and using her social media skills has started to gather parents and carers from Shildon and beyond to come together and try to support each other and their families"

Anyone who would like to get involved or find out more email Shildon.p.a.n.d.a.s@gmail.com

Our community spaces are available for anyone to book.

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.