Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the time the complainant has been waiting for a bigger home. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Ms X, complains she has been waiting since 2020 for a larger home. She says the Council has not explained why her bidding position has dropped and why she was not offered a home for which she reached the top position.

Back to top

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 an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Ms X. This includes the complaint response. I also considered our Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

4. Ms X lives in a privately rented one bedroom property with her two young children. Ms X has been on the housing register since 2020 and is registered for a two bedroom property. Ms X says she was told the waiting time for a new home would be up to 50 months. She wants to know why the Council did not offer a property for which she was in the top bidding position (property A) and she wants to know how much longer she will have to wait. Ms X says there is mould in the property.
5. The Council explained that the wait times are estimates and it is impossible to say how long someone will have to wait. This is because the wait times are dependent on many factors including which properties someone bids for and the priority of other applicants. The Council said it could not offer property A because it is an adapted home which Ms X does not need. The Council forwarded Ms X’s request for her application to be reassessed, and it signposted her to help with the disrepair. The Council said Ms X is currently eligible for a two bedroom property because her children are under ten and she cannot register for a three bedroom home until her daughter turns ten.
6. I will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. The Council’s website explains that the wait times are provided as an estimate and the Council’s response said it is impossible to say how long Ms X will have to wait for a larger home. The Council also told Ms X why it could not offer property A. I appreciate Ms X is achieving low bidding positions, but this is due to the severe shortage of housing and the priority of other applicants.
7. I have checked the allocations policy and it is correct that Ms X is not eligible for a three bedroom property. The Council responded appropriately by telling Ms X how to get help with the disrepair and said it will reassess her application.
8. I have not seen any indication of fault and there is nothing I can add to the explanations the Council has already provided.

Back to top

Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman