Allocations

Castle Point Borough Council (18 016 955)

Statement Upheld Allocations 15-Jul-2019

Summary: The Council delayed responding to Mrs B's emails about her father's eligibility to be on the Council's housing register. The Council has apologised to Mrs B and made a decision on her father's application. It has also agreed to take action to prevent similar failings in future.

London Borough of Newham (18 019 232)

Statement Upheld Allocations 10-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X's complaint that she was removed from the housing register as Miss X says this has now been resolved.

Epping Forest District Council (17 020 221)

Statement Upheld Allocations 10-Jul-2019

Summary: The Council allocated Miss X accommodation which could not be adapted to meet her needs. As a result Miss X had to live in unsuitable accommodation and was put to unnecessary time and trouble pursuing her complaint. The Council has agreed to apologise and pay Miss X £7030 to remedy the injustice caused.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (18 015 726)

Statement Not upheld Allocations 04-Jul-2019

Summary: Mr X complains about Council's actions in relation to a property he was a joint tenant for, an offer of accommodation when he was homeless in 2017 and says it has refused to put him on its waiting list for housing because of a longstanding housing benefit debt. The Ombudsman concluded we can only investigate the last part of Mr X's complaint. On that matter, it was not fault for the Council to take into account Mr X's housing benefit debt before deciding whether it should allocate him social housing.

West Berkshire Council (18 016 559)

Statement Upheld Allocations 03-Jul-2019

Summary: Mrs B complains about the way the Council dealt with her application for additional priority for housing. The Ombudsman finds that while the Council followed statutory guidance and its own policy in dealing with Mrs B's applications, there was some delay, which was fault. The Council acknowledged this before Mrs B complained to the Ombudsman and offered an appropriate remedy.

London Borough of Lewisham (18 016 034)

Statement Upheld Allocations 01-Jul-2019

Summary: Miss X complains the Council overlooked her application for a house she was eligible to apply for because it wrongly believed it needed to verify her status. Also, because it later told her she would never have got it anyway because it had given preference to homeless applicants. The Ombudsman found the Council was at fault in its actions around Miss X's status on its housing waiting list. It was not at fault in how it gave reasonable preference to homeless applicants. The Council had already proposed a remedy for the injustice caused and the Ombudsman concluded this was appropriate. We have also asked the Council to correct the records of two other applicants it says are in the same situation as Miss X.

Brentwood Borough Council (18 013 115)

Statement Not upheld Allocations 27-Jun-2019

Summary: Miss C complains about the way the Council dealt with her housing transfer request and says her family have lived in unsuitable accommodation for longer than necessary which is affecting their health. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault by the Council.

Birmingham City Council (18 014 567)

Statement Not upheld Allocations 26-Jun-2019

Summary: Ms X complains the Council was at fault in the way it considered her application to join its housing register in 2018. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault in the way the Council considered the matter. So, has completed his investigation.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council (18 016 913)

Statement Upheld Allocations 25-Jun-2019

Summary: Mr C complained the Council failed to properly consider his circumstances before reducing his housing register banding. The Council applied its allocations policy properly but failed to explain how the allocations policy worked to Mr C. That led to him having to go to time and trouble to pursue his complaint. An apology is satisfactory remedy for the injustice caused.

Horsham District Council (18 016 506)

Statement Not upheld Allocations 24-Jun-2019

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council's handling of his housing application. Mr X said the Council offered unsuitable accommodation. The Ombudsman does not find fault with the Council's decision that the property was a suitable offer of accommodation.