London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (25 015 506)
Category : Adult care services > Disabled facilities grants
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 20 Apr 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to allow an application for a Disabled Facilities Grant for a loft conversion. It was reasonable for Miss X to ask for a review of the Panel’s decision and this has been subsequently granted.
The complaint
- Miss X complained about the Council’s rejection of her application for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to adapt her loft for use by her son who requires his own space for medical reasons. She says the Council has ignored the advice of medical professionals and it should agree to the grant and fund it for her son’s needs.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 it would be reasonable for the person to ask for a council review or appeal.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Miss X says the Council rejected her request for a DFG for a loft conversion at her home she says medical professionals and an Occupational Therapist recommended the grant but the Councils’ Adaptations Panel rejected this in favour of finding a solution to her overcrowding problem through a housing move.
- Miss X made a formal compalint about the Panel’s decision and the Council has told us in response to our enquiries that it will review the Panel’s decision and carry out a further visit to Miss X’s home by an Occupational therapist and the Panel will reconsider the facts of the case.
- This is a reasonable response to Miss X’s compalint and we will not consider the matter further.
Final decision
- We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to allow an application for a Disabled Facilities Grant for a loft conversion. It was reasonable for Miss X to ask for a review of the Panel’s decision and this has been subsequently granted.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman