Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council has managed Miss X’s housing application. This is because there is not significant enough injustice.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains the Council is taking too long to move her and her family to a larger property. Miss X says this means her family is living in overcrowded conditions. She wants the Council to move them as quickly as possible.

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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 any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement (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. Every local housing authority must publish an allocations scheme that sets out how it prioritises applicants, and its procedures for allocating housing. All allocations must be made in strict accordance with the published scheme. (Housing Act 1996, section 166A(1) & (14))
6. Miss X joined the Council’s housing register in 2019. The Council assesses Miss X’s housing application as priority band B. This is the second highest priority band under the Council’s allocations scheme.
7. I have considered how the Council has assessed Miss X’s application against its allocations scheme. Miss X’s application is prioritised as band B. I can see no grounds for the Council to prioritise Miss X as band A. I consider that Miss X is in the highest priority band that she could be awarded by the Council. Therefore the Council’s handling of Miss X’s application is unlikely to have caused significant injustice.
8. I recognise that Miss X wants to move as soon as possible. However, I also recognise the demand for social housing far outstrips the supply of properties in many areas. The Council has no obligation to rehouse Miss X within a specific timescale.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. This is because any injustice from the Council’s handling of the application is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman