Housing benefit and council tax benefit

Recent statements in this category are shown below:

  • London Borough of Hillingdon (18 013 501)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 20-May-2019

    Summary: The Council was at fault when it paid housing benefit to the tenant and not to Mrs C, the landlord. This meant Mrs C missed out on rental payments. The Council has agreed to pay Mrs C in recompense for the fault and for the part this fault played in contributing to the stress and financial strain Mrs C and her husband were already experiencing.

  • London Borough of Haringey (18 012 935)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 16-May-2019

    Summary: Mrs D complains the Council delayed reviewing its decision on her housing benefit claim. The Ombudsman has found fault causing injustice. The Council will apologise, make a payment and forward Mrs D's case to the Social Security Appeal Tribunal.

  • London Borough of Haringey (17 020 265)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 10-May-2019

    Summary: Mr A complains the Council did not respond appropriately to his requests for help when his private tenancy was at risk. He complains the Council did not apply reasonable adjustments and this had a significant impact on his mental health. The Ombudsman's finds there was fault by the Council. We consider the Council proposed a suitable remedy.

  • London Borough of Newham (18 013 125)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 30-Apr-2019

    Summary: Miss B complains that the Council has failed to deal with her Housing Benefit claim properly, because it has taken too long to deal with her claims, has lost documents and has not responded to her complaint. The Council took too long to deal with her Housing Benefit claim because it lost or did not process information Miss B provided. Miss B had to wait four months longer than necessary for her claim to be processed. The Council should pay Miss B £100 for the unnecessary delay she suffered.

  • London Borough of Lambeth (18 012 918)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 29-Apr-2019

    Summary: Miss B complains the Council wrongly reduced her housing benefit for seven months. Miss B says she fell into rent arrears and received a notice of possession for her home. The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault for reducing Miss B's housing benefit. The Council agrees to apologise and pay Miss B for time and trouble, and distress caused by the fault.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (18 014 769)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 25-Apr-2019

    Summary: Mr B complains about how the Council dealt with his claim for Housing Benefit when he was a full-time student, and his correspondence and appeal since then. The Ombudsman finds there was minor fault by the Council in that it asked him to provide information he had already provided. This caused frustration and inconvenience for which an apology is recommended.

  • Birmingham City Council (18 011 576)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 12-Apr-2019

    Summary: Mr X complains that the Council started paying housing benefit directly to him without telling him. He says because of this, he spent this money on other things. He also complains that the Council did not log his complaint. He says he spent time and trouble resolving his complaint. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council which caused Mr X injustice. The Ombudsman is satisfied with the actions the Council has taken to remedy the faults: it has apologised to Mr X, addressed faults with individual staff members, raised the issue with its software provider, and will review its procedures with staff to ensure consistency across departments.

  • London Borough of Hounslow (17 013 901)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 11-Apr-2019

    Summary: Mr K complains the Council mishandled his housing benefit claim and that this led to his being evicted from his home. The Ombudsman considers there is fault by the Council because it failed to apply a disability premium. The Council has agreed a suitable remedy for the injustice caused.

  • London Borough of Newham (18 001 436)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 29-Mar-2019

    Summary: Ms C says the Council did not consider her application for a discretionary housing payment fairly. The Council is at fault for a failure to explain its reasoning to Ms C. It has agreed to reconsider its decision, apologise and explain its decisions more clearly in future.

  • Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council (18 012 456)

    Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 28-Mar-2019

    Summary: Ms B says the Council failed to pay the correct housing benefit for 2 years leading to hardship and anxiety. The Ombudsman's considers there was no fault by the Council in revising the claim after 2 years. However, there was fault by the Council because it did not fully correct the benefit due until January 2019. The Council has provided an appropriate remedy for this fault.