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.

Apprenticeship Support

Our Livin Futures team can support you into an apprenticeship role by helping you to find local vacancies, improving your job hunting skills, building a strong CV and interview preparation.

Why an apprenticeship?

Our level of apprenticeships range between level two and level seven and can vary between one to four years in duration. Benefits include:

Earn while you learn
Debt free qualification
Real hands on experience and life skills
An amazing opportunity to gain a recognised qualification
Available to anyone over 16 years with no upper age limit

Request support

Local apprenticeship opportunities:

Painter and Decorator Apprentice

Mears

Apply

Business Administration Apprentice

Mears

Apply

Early Years Educator Apprentice

Rainbow Nursery (Middlestone Moor) Ltd

Apply

Pharmacy Assistant Apprentice

Hancock & Ainsley Ltd

Apply

Need help to apply?

If you are one of our customers we can help you be successful in applying for these vacancies by reviewing your CV, preparing you for an interview, providing travel expenses, clothing or uniform, tools and equipment.

Request work and training support

Case studies

Hear from some of our apprentices on why they chose to take the apprenticeship route and how it's helped them in their career so far.

Sophie Stradling - Building Surveyor Apprentice

View Sophie's story

Charlie Seaman - Electrician Apprentice

View Charlie's story

Hallie Smith - Housing Apprentice

View Hallie's story

Evie Sands - Executive Support Apprentice

View Evie's Story

Evan Smith - Paralegal Apprentice

View Evan's Story

Ellie Redhead - Building Surveyor Apprentice

Read Ellie's Story

Louie Smith - Joinery Apprentice

Read Louie's Story

Abi Wilson - Digital Analyst Apprentice

Read Abi's Story

Reece O'Dwyer - Process Improvement Analyst Apprentice

Read Reece's Story

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.