London Borough of Tower Hamlets (24 021 297)

Category : Housing > Allocations

Decision : Closed after initial enquiries

Decision date : 26 May 2025

The Ombudsman's final decision:

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a lack of accessible social housing in the Council’s area. This is because we could not achieve the outcome she seeks. The Housing Ombudsman is better placed to deal with her complaint about the broken lift in her housing association property.

The complaint

  1. Mrs X complains about a lack of adequate social housing in the Council’s area. She says the lift in her housing association property is broken and that she has been wating for an accessible four- or five-bedroom property since 2010. Mrs X wants the Council to build more accessible properties.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

  1. 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:
  • we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
  • there is another body better placed to consider this complaint.

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

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How I considered this complaint

  1. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
  2. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

  1. I will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about a lack of accessible properties in the Council’s area. This is because the outcome Mrs X seeks is not one we can achieve. We have no powers to instruct councils to build more accessible social housing.
  2. It would be reasonable for Mrs X to make a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman if she considers that her housing association landlord is failing to repair a broken lift. The Housing Ombudsman has the power to investigate housing associations, we do not.

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Final decision

  1. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we could not achieve the outcome she seeks. The Housing Ombudsman is better placed to deal with her complaint about the broken lift in her housing association property.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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