Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Mr X’s housing applications from 2009 to 2022. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to help him with housing applications since 2009. He says this has affected his relationship with his daughter because he is currently living in a different council area and has difficulty keeping family connections.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered the information provided by the complainant and the Council. I have also considered the Council’s housing allocations policy.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X says he has made various approaches to the Council to be rehoused since 2009 without success. He currently lives in a housing association property in a neighbouring council area and has difficulty maintaining contact with his daughter. He last applied for housing in 2022 but his application was rejected because he did not have a local connection with the Council which was a requirement of its allocations policy. He did not request a review of the decision.
6. In July 2023 he made a complaint about the failure to accept him to the housing register. The Council advised him that the allocations policy changed in May this year and that the local connection criteria now included family connections. Mr X does not have a current live housing application and the Council advised him to re-apply with any evidence he may have which may confirm he is eligible under the new allocation policy.
7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaints about his previous housing applications. There is no evidence to suggest that he could not have complained to us sooner about the decisions.

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Final decision

8. We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Mr X’s housing applications from 2009 to 2022. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman