Southend-on-Sea City Council (25 006 419)
Category : Housing > Allocations
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 04 Dec 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about housing allocations. it would have been reasonable for Mr X to request a review.
The complaint
- Mr X complains the Council will not assist him to secure affordable accommodation.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 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))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X was living in an HMO arranged by a charity. He applied to the Council’s housing register. Mr X said the rent for his current accommodation is too high. He also said the conditions are unpleasant.
- The Council decided Mr X was not eligible to join the Housing register because he was not in priority need. The Council said Mr X’s current property met his needs and advised Mr X to contact them if he received notice to vacate his property. The Council informed Mr X of his right to request a review of the decision within 21 days.
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. This is because Mr X had the right to seek a review of the decision. It would have been reasonable for Mr X to have requested a review of the Council’s decision that he was not in priority need within 21 days of the decision. Mr X could have then appealed to the county court on a point of law if the review was unsuccessful.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it would have been reasonable for him to request a review.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman