Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained about the Council’s assessment of her housing application. She says she is overcrowded in her current Council rented home and needs a larger home. She also says her former partner lives in the locality and she has suffered domestic abuse from him in 2015 and more recently he has tried to make contact with her.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate 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 or continue an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered 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. Ms X is on the housing register for a bigger home as she is lacking a bedroom for her family. She says her ex-partner lives and works in the locality and she has fears for her safety after she suffered violence from him in 2015.
6. Ms X asked the Council to review her case in 2024 and it did so but did not alter the priority. In November 2024 Ms X complained to us. We cannot overturn a council’s decision on the priority of an application for housing unless there is fault in the assessment procedure. I have seen no evidence of fault which would suggest that Ms X’s review was incorrect in 2024 or she should be placed in a higher banding.
7. Since she complained to us Ms X has had a further review in January 2025 and has recently submitted a new review request because she says she is involved in ongoing court proceedings over parental contact with her children. The outcome of the latest review was pending when the council replied to our enquiries.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman