Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a disabled facilities grant application. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council failed to appropriately consider requests for household adaptations to assist his partner Ms Y. Mr X stated the Council’s actions had lengthened Ms Y’s recovery and caused them both undue stress. Mr X would like the Council to reconsider the household adaptation they have requested.

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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.

(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 Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. A Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a grant awarded to eligible disabled people to allow them to make adaptations to their home to meet their needs.
6. Ms Y contacted the Council in autumn 2024 to request an assessment for adaptations to her home. She complained to the Council in winter 2024 about the delay.
7. The Council responded to Ms Y to apologise for the delay in conducting her home assessment. It confirmed that Ms Y’s case had been allocated to an Occupational Therapist (OT). It also told Ms Y how she could access other services which she might find helpful.
8. An Occupational Therapist (OT) conducted an assessment with Ms Y and her partner Mr X at their home in January 2025. The OT identified some initial equipment and minor adaptations to support Ms Y. However, they decided that a further assessment was needed with a Physiotherapist to identify the most suitable adaptations for Ms Y and set out reasons for this in their assessment.
9. The Council contacted Ms Y and Mr X several times to arrange another assessment with the OT and a Physiotherapist. Two meetings took place at Ms Y and Mr X’s home, however Ms Y was not well enough to attend these. The Council arranged or offered six assessment visits with Ms Y and Mr X that did not take place due to cancellation or re-arrangement by Ms Y and Mr X.
10. The Council’s Disabled Facilities Grant Panel considered Ms Y’s application for household adaptations in summer 2025. The Panel decided that they could not make a decision on Ms Y’s application until the OT had been able to fully assess her needs. The Council wrote to Ms Y to tell her about the Panel’s decision and asked her to arrange an assessment.
11. We will not investigate this complaint, The Council has confirmed it needs to complete a further assessment, the initial OT set out reasons for this. The Council offered further assessment appointments without delay to Ms Y. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman