Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about how the Council has dealt with her recent application to join the housing register. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. Other issues Mrs X has raised are either made late, repeat complaints or concern the Council’s actions as a social housing landlord.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains that the Council removed her from its housing register five years ago. Mrs X says her property is in a state of disrepair and wants to be reinstated back onto the housing register.

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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. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
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)
4. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. We previously considered a complaint about how the Council dealt with Mrs X’s place on the housing register some five years ago. We do not accept repeat complaints so I will not investigate these matters again. Nor will I investigate any other historic matter not previously considered by the Ombudsman. This is because I see no good reason why Mrs X could not have complained to us sooner.
8. In her complaint to the Council Mrs X complained about how it had handled disrepair at her council property and about the actions of a housing officer. I cannot investigate these matters as the law prevents us from investigating complaints about how council’s manage social housing.
9. Mrs X did apply to join the housing register in 2024. The Council asked her to provide information in support of her application, but she did not reply. The Council concluded that on the information it had, she was not eligible to join the housing register. It advised Mrs X of her right of appeal, but no appeal was received.
10. I will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with her recent application to join the Council’s housing register. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault. It considered the application in line with its policy, has fully explained to Mrs X why she is ineligible, and its justification is in line with its published policy.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council, some issues raised are either made late, some repeat complaints and others concern the Council’s actions as a social housing landlord.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman