Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council did not accept his housing register application. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council did not accept his housing register application. He said it did not tell him why. He said that has affected his mental health. He wants the Council to tell him what information he needs to provide.

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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))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X applied to join the Council’s housing register in January 2025. In March 2025, the Council wrote to him and said he needed to provide financial records covering the previous three months. It explained he could upload this information to his account and then reapply for housing.
6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council. I have reviewed the information he provided alongside his housing register application, and it did not include three months of financial records. The Council has written to him and explained this. It has acted in line with its allocations policy; there is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman