Local Government Ombudsman

> | Accessiblity Options | Text Only | Text Size: A+ A- Reset | Links | Site Map

You are here: Home : : Complaint outcomes : : Housing : : Housing archive 2007-08 : : London Borough of Ealing (06/A/11660)

Quality and efficiency

Browser support

Browse aloud

Click here for speech assisted browser support

Downloads

Site tools

Files with this symbol pdf icon are in .pdf format. To view these files you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. It can be downloaded below free of charge. Click To Download

adobe acrobat reader

London Borough of Ealing (06/A/11660)

Housing allocations                    Maladministration causing injustice

22 October 2007

A woman missed out on permanent accommodation as a result of Ealing Council’s mishandling of her housing application. The Ombudsman said that, while he recognised the Council’s legitimate aim of preventing housing fraud, “…the Council may not have got the balance right between preventing fraud and supporting those in need of social housing.”

‘Ms Wilson’ (not her real name for legal reasons) complained about the Council’s handling of her application for housing. When she applied in 2001 she was not told that her application would need to be verified at a later stage, or that she would have to provide proof of residence for 10 years.

The Council failed to deal properly with Ms Wilson’s application for housing by not advising her of the need to have her application verified when she first applied and what this would entail. The Council also failed to give sufficient consideration to Ms Wilson’s personal circumstances and the difficulty she might legitimately have in providing the proof requested. Had Ms Wilson been told what was required at the start, it was reasonable to assume that she would have been able to comply with the Council’s requirements when she was number one on the shortlist for a property for which she had placed a bid. She therefore missed securing permanent accommodation as a result of the Council’s failings.

Remedy

The Ombudsman recommended that, to remedy the injustice, the Council should:

  • increase Ms Wilson’s priority until she is able to secure permanent accommodation;
  • pay her £750 compensation for the time she has spent living in insecure accommodation since November 2006, and £250 for her time and trouble in pursuing her complaint; and
  • send her a written apology for the problems she has experienced.

With a view to ensuring that there was a better balance between protecting the Council against fraud and supporting those in need of social housing the Council should also review the process for verifying applications for housing, including:

  • the need to provide proof of residence for 10 years; and
  • the way discretion is exercised over those who are unable to provide the necessary proof.

LGO satisfied with Council's response: 7 September 2009

Date Updated: 10/12/09