Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his request for housing assistance. There is insufficient evidence of fault and it is unlikely an investigation would lead to a different outcome or achieve anything more.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council should have referred him to its adaptations service sooner following his initial contact in May 2024 and that this has led to a delay in him receiving appropriate housing assistance. He says the delay has caused distress. He wants the Council to compensate him for the distress caused.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X applied to the Council for assistance with heating and renovation costs in May 2024. The Council processed his application. It advised him there was a waiting list for assessment, but it would contact him again in due course.
6. The Council assessed his application in January 2025 but did not award a grant. Mr X asked the Council to review the decision. He said he was entitled to assistance on the grounds of disability under a Home Adaptation Grant or Disabled Facilities Grant.
7. In its complaint response, the Council said Mr X had applied for heating and renovations assistance, so it had not assessed him for disability-related adaptations or support. It said based on information he had provided during the complaints process it had now referred him to its adaptations service, who would complete an assessment.
8. We will not investigate this complaint. Mr X applied for heating and renovation assistance and the Council processed his application accordingly. It was Mr X ‘s responsibility to submit the correct application. We would not find fault with the Council for processing his application based on the information he submitted.
9. Mr X says he told the Council about his household’s disabilities during a phone call, around the time he submitted his application. He says the Council should have referred him to its adaptations service at that point. The Council has said although it will sometimes refer or signpost applicants to other services, at the time of his application it did not have sufficient reason to do so. We will not investigate this. We cannot know what was said during the phone call and so is unlikely an investigation would be able to reach a finding on this point or lead to a different outcome.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault and an investigation would be unlikely to lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman