Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a request to join its housing register. This is because the complaint is made late, and I see no good reason to exercise discretion and investigate it now.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains that the Council prevented her from joining its housing register.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X complained to the Council about disrepair to her property and that the Council had prevented her from joining its housing register.
7. The Council issued a final response in February 2022 in which it advised Miss X that she could escalate her complaint about disrepair to the Housing Ombudsman and her complaint about the housing register to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Miss X asked the Housing Ombudsman to investigate further but did not approach us.
8. I will not investigate Miss X’s complaint. This is because it is made late and I see no good reason why Miss X could not have complained to us in February 2022, as the Council advised her.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is made late.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman