Assisted bin collections: help putting your bins out
Can you not move your bin to the kerb? How assisted collections work, who qualifies, what evidence councils ask for, and how to apply in five councils.
By Andrew Pickett. Last reviewed .
What an assisted collection is
Most councils expect you to put your bin out at the edge of your property by a set time on collection day. For many people that is easy. For someone with a disability, an illness or an injury, it can be impossible.
An assisted collection removes that requirement. Instead of you taking the bin to the kerb, the crew collects it from an agreed spot on your property. Bradford describes it as help if you cannot move your bin to the edge of your property and no one else in your home can help. It is a service you apply for, not one that starts automatically, and each council runs it slightly differently.
The usual test
Four councils we checked set out their tests. They are close to each other, and they have one idea in common: the service is for people who have no one to do it for them.
- Bradford: you cannot move your bin to the kerbside, and no one else in your home can help.
- North Yorkshire: you cannot put your bins out because of disability, illness, infirmity, age or other issues, no one else in your household can put them out, and you do not have a neighbour or friend who can help. The council says the service is free.
- Birmingham: you are disabled, a Blue Badge holder or not well enough to put out your bin. If you live with someone aged 16 or over who could put out your rubbish, you are not eligible.
- Stockport: you have a mobility or health condition that means you cannot put your bins out, and no one else in the home can help.
Reading's service standards also say it offers assisted collections to elderly or infirm residents who do not have an able-bodied person in the household to put the bins out. North Tyneside lists "get assistance with your bin" on its household bin collections page, for people who have trouble putting their bin out.
Two points are worth noticing. First, none of these tests mentions how much waste you produce or what you can afford. They are about whether anyone at the address can move the bin. Second, a neighbour matters in North Yorkshire, which asks whether one could help, but is not mentioned in the Bradford, Birmingham and Stockport tests.
How to apply, council by council
| Council | How to apply | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford | Online form, or call 01274 431000 | The council arranges a visit to check whether you need help |
| North Yorkshire | Use the town and village lookup tool; how you apply depends on where you live | The council directs you to the service for your area |
| Birmingham | Online application; you may be asked to create or log in to a free BRUM account | The council may ask for proof that you are eligible |
| Stockport | Online form, for yourself or on behalf of someone else | Evidence is needed: Blue Badge number, doctor, or referring organisation |
North Yorkshire's page is a good reminder that one council can run more than one scheme. It says it delivers the service differently depending on where you live, and its lookup tool sends you to the right page for your area.
What evidence do councils ask for?
It varies, and the evidence is the part people most often get stuck on.
- Stockport says the quickest evidence is your Blue Badge: give the number on the online form and the council uses it to approve your request. If you do not have one, you can ask your doctor to confirm you meet the criteria, or you can contact a referring organisation or your social worker, who can request the collection for you. Stockport warns that some doctors may charge for this. If you choose the doctor route, the council gives temporary help for 21 days after you complete the form, posts you a paper form for your doctor to complete and stamp, and cancels the collection if you do not send it back within 21 days.
- Birmingham says it may ask for proof that you are eligible, and may withdraw the service at any time if it believes you are no longer eligible.
- Bradford does not ask for a certificate on the page we read. It arranges a visit to check whether you need help.
- North Yorkshire lists the circumstances that qualify, and says assisted collections cover household waste, garden waste or recycling bins, boxes and bags.
If you are applying for someone else, check whether your council allows it. Stockport does: its form can be used to request help for yourself or for someone you know, such as a friend, relative or neighbour, and you will need some details about that person.
Things to expect once it starts
- An agreed collection point. Bradford says its bin crews collect your waste from an agreed spot on your property, so it helps to tell the council about steps, gates, locked side passages or a long drive when you apply.
- A small van, not a lorry. Bradford asks you to say if your waste is collected by a small van rather than a large bin lorry, when you apply.
- No free bin bags. Bradford says it does not provide black bin bags for assisted collections, so put out only what your council normally accepts.
- A review. Birmingham says it may withdraw the service if it believes you are no longer eligible. If your situation changes, for example someone moves in who can put the bin out, tell your council rather than waiting for it to ask.
- Crew limits on distance. Reading's service standards say crews will not walk to retrieve a bin that is more than 15 metres from the rear of the collection vehicle for two wheeled bins. That is one reason an agreed collection point matters.
Food waste caddies
Weekly food waste collections are now spreading across England, and the new caddy is one more container to move. Birmingham's food waste pilot page says that if you already have an assisted collection for your rubbish bin, it also applies to your food waste collection, and residents already receiving assisted collections automatically receive assistance with their food caddy. If you do not yet have an assisted collection, the page points you to the application. North Tyneside also has a page about its weekly food waste collections. Our Simpler Recycling guide explains the national change behind this.
If your bin is not collected
An assisted collection can still be missed. Our missed bin guide shows how long each council asks you to wait before reporting. If you are on an assisted collection, say so when you report: the crew should be collecting from your agreed spot, not from the kerb.
Related help
If your bin is broken and you need a new one, see our guide to new, replacement and extra bins. If you live in Bradford, Birmingham, Stockport or North Tyneside, our Bradford, Birmingham, Stockport and North Tyneside pages link to each council's own bin pages. For North Yorkshire, see North Yorkshire. To find a council that is not on our list, use GOV.UK's find out your rubbish collection day service, which takes you from your postcode to your council's own site.