Portsmouth City Council (24 008 312)

Category : Adult care services > Disabled facilities grants

Decision : Closed after initial enquiries

Decision date : 30 Oct 2024

The Ombudsman's final decision:

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the outcome of a means test for a Disabled Facilities Grant. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

The complaint

  1. Miss X complained about the Council’s decision she was not financially eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). She said the decision discriminated against her as she worked. She wants the Council to install a wet room in her property.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

  1. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:
  • there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

  1. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
  2. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

  1. A Disabled Facilities Grant is a means tested grant to help meet the costs of adaptations to a property for a disabled occupant. The means test is designed to ensure that DFG funding is awarded to those on the lowest incomes and least able to afford adaptations. Where the amount of assessed contribution exceeds the costs of the works, the person will not receive the grant.
  2. The Council assessed Miss X as needing bathroom adaptions. It completed a preliminary means test. The outcome indicated the amount that Miss X would need to contribute exceeded the cost of the required work. The Council told Miss X because of that she would not receive the DFG.
  3. Although Miss X is unhappy with the Council’s decision, we will not investigate. The Council used financial information provided by Miss X to complete the means test; it double checked the information provided and completed a further assessment. There is nothing to suggest the Council has completed the assessment incorrectly. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

Back to top

Final decision

  1. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

Print this page

LGO logogram

Review your privacy settings

Required cookies

These cookies enable the website to function properly. You can only disable these by changing your browser preferences, but this will affect how the website performs.

View required cookies

Analytical cookies

Google Analytics cookies help us improve the performance of the website by understanding how visitors use the site.
We recommend you set these 'ON'.

View analytical cookies

In using Google Analytics, we do not collect or store personal information that could identify you (for example your name or address). We do not allow Google to use or share our analytics data. Google has developed a tool to help you opt out of Google Analytics cookies.

Privacy settings