Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about how the Council has dealt with her housing needs. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to justify investigating and any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council:

• Placed her and her family in unsuitable temporary accommodation that does not meet the needs of her family.
• Have caused her to move multiple times.
• Did not offer help with the storage of her possessions when she was evicted.
• Have not made any offers of permanent accommodation.
• Have communicated poorly and incorrectly discharged their duty towards her.

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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, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(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 provider has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Mrs X has a child, Y, who has a medical condition requiring a prescription diet. The prescription diet means safe food storage and a suitable food preparation area are essential.
7. In 2023, Mrs X was evicted and awarded a relief duty by the Council. Her family was placed in temporary accommodation. Mrs X asked for the suitability of the accommodation to be reviewed, and the Council found the property was not suitable. The Council relocated Mrs X and her family later in 2023 to a suitable 3-bedroom house with a kitchen, which they still occupy.
8. Mrs X complains her family spent time in unsuitable accommodation which did not meet Y’s medical needs. She also complains they had to move multiple times, and the Council did not offer to help store their possessions.
9. We normally expect people to complain to us within twelve months of them becoming aware of a problem. Mrs X did not complain to the Ombudsman until 2025. We look at each complaint individually, and on its merits, considering the circumstances of each case. But we do not exercise discretion to accept a late complaint unless there are good reasons to do so. I have considered whether to exercise our discretion to investigate the late elements of this complaint, but I have seen no good reasons to do so.
10. In 2023, Mrs X was entered onto the housing register and determined to be eligible for a 4-bedroom property with a band 3 priority.
11. Mrs X complains that she has not yet been offered permanent accommodation.
12. I have considered the way the Council determined Mrs X’s banding, and I am unlikely to find fault with the Council’s banding decision. This is because they considered all the relevant evidence, including Y’s medical evidence, and made the decision in accordance with their housing allocations policy.
13. In the London Borough of Redbridge people wait an average of 19 years for a 4-bedroom property. Mrs X has been waiting since 2023. I am unlikely to find fault with the length of time Mrs X has been waiting for a permanent offer of accommodation. This is because she has not been waiting a disproportionate length of time.
14. In 2024 the Council made an offer of temporary accommodation. Mrs X complains she did not receive this offer, and this then led to the Council discharging their duty towards her. The Council recognised their error and reinstated their duty.
15. The Council have apologised and reinstated their duty. They have also confirmed that Mrs X did not miss out on more suitable accommodation because of the error. I recognise Mrs X is unhappy at the Council’s response, but we will not investigate this because the outstanding injustice caused is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Final decision

16. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is not sufficient evidence of fault to justify investigating and the outstanding injustice caused is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman