Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s assessment of her housing application. The Council has since completed a reassessment of her housing needs and Ms X has requested a review of this decision. It is reasonable to allow the Council to complete this process.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council has failed to account for her and her partner, Mr Y’s medical needs in its consideration of her housing register application. She says this has caused distress. She wants the Council to accept they need two bedrooms on medical grounds and allocate her suitable housing.

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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:

• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• it would be reasonable for the person to ask for a council review or appeal.

(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. The Council accepted Ms X onto its housing register in December 2024. It assessed her and Mr Y as needing one bedroom accommodation. Ms X complained about this decision and stated they needed two bedrooms due to medical needs.
6. In its complaint responses, the Council said it had considered her application, all supporting information she had provided and the advice from its medical advisor and was satisfied they only needed one bedroom. It said it was awaiting further medical information from Mr Y’s GP and once it had received this, it would re-consider the application.
7. The Council reassessed her application in May 2025 to consider further medical information related to Mr Y. It decided there was insufficient evidence to support a need for two bedrooms, and so it did not change its decision.
8. Ms X was unhappy with this outcome and has since asked the Council to review this decision.
9. We will not investigate this complaint. Since bringing the complaint to us, the Council has reassessed her housing needs to consider new medical information. At Ms X’s request, it is now reviewing that decision. We do not yet know the outcome of the review and so it is reasonable to allow the Council to complete this process.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because the Council is currently completing a review of its decision, and it is reasonable to allow it to complete this process.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman