Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her request for an urgent management transfer from her council tenancy. This is because the complaint relates to events that took place more than 12 months ago. There is no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate these matters.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the Council’s handling of her request for an urgent management transfer from her council tenancy. She says her mental health was affected. She would like the Council to increase the compensation offered.

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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 complaints about the provision or management of social housing by a council acting as a registered social housing provider. (Local Government Act 1974, paragraph 5A schedule 5, as amended)
4. 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

5. I considered information provided by Miss X which includes the Council’s responses.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. We have no remit to investigate the actions of the Council acting as a registered social housing provider. So, we cannot investigate tenancy management issues. However, we can investigate how the Council prioritises applications for housing in line with its published allocations scheme.
8. Miss X complains about matters in connection with her request for a management transfer from her council tenancy due to domestic abuse. Miss X made this request in 2023.
9. The Council met with Miss X in 2024 in response to her complaint. Its investigation noted she no longer wished to proceed with the complaint about the management transfer following her housing application meriting medical priority.
10. The Council awarded Miss X a financial remedy of £150 compensation. It also apologised. It said it was compensating her for its lack of support following her reports of domestic abuse alongside other issues Miss X raised concerning the management of her tenancy.
11. The Ombudsman will not usually exercise discretion to investigate matters that took place more than 12 months prior to the complainant becoming aware of them. In this case, it would have been reasonable for Miss X to complain to the Ombudsman from 2023 - 2024 instead of letting two years elapse. Further I note the compensation is partly awarded for social housing tenancy management failings over which we have no jurisdiction. Overall, I find no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate this late complaint.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the complaint relates to events that took place more than 12 months ago. There is no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate this matter now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman