London Borough of Wandsworth (22 017 096)
Category : Housing > Allocations
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 05 Apr 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his housing application. He says his banding priority is not reflective of his housing need. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault with how the Council considered Mr X’s housing application.
The complaint
- Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of his housing application. He says his banding priority is not reflective of his housing need.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Ombudsman investigates 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 an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X lives in a two-bedroom property which he shares with two other people who are not part of his household.
- Mr X says that when his children visit him, they all have to share his bedroom. He says this is affecting his relationship with his children. He says the Council has ignored him and not provided any help.
- The Council’s allocations policy sets out how points will be awarded to housing applicants. The number of points awarded to a housing application will determine the banding priority. The points awarded to Mr X’s housing application has been made in line with the allocations policy.
- Further, as Mr X’s children do not live with him full time, the Council has appropriately assessed Mr X as needing a one-bedroom property. This is in line with the Council’s allocations policy.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault with how the Council considered Mr X’s housing application.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman