Summary: We have decided not to investigate Ms X’s complaint the Council delayed assessing her housing register application. The Council has upheld the complaint and has agreed to remedy Ms X’s injustice by way of an apology and payment of £100. Further investigation by us would not be proportionate.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council delayed assessing her housing register application by almost two years, meaning she missed out on bidding on suitable properties. She complains the Council poorly communicated with her during this time and failed to understand her needs.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• 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

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code and the Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme 2023 (as published online).

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My assessment

6. In May 2023, Ms X applied to join the Council’s housing register.
7. In May 2025, Ms X complained to the Council about delays in assessing her application and poor communication from the Council.
8. The Council assessed Ms X’s application. It awarded her Band 3 with 200 points due to overcrowding. The Council awarded Ms X an additional 20 points for waiting two years on the housing register. It backdated her priority date to July 2023.
9. In its complaint responses, the Council apologised to Ms X both for the delays in assessing her housing register application and poorly communicating with her. It promptly assessed her application following her complaint. It awarded her £100 in recognition of the inconvenience and frustration caused. I am satisfied the Council has provided a suitable remedy for any injustice Ms X has suffered. And it is unlikely Ms X missed out on successfully bidding on a property during the delay. I say this because, in line with the outcome sought by Ms X, the Council considered whether Ms X could have missed out on a property during the two year delay. But it said, due to demand outstripping supply, applicants with a two-bedroom housing need were likely to have to wait over four years be rehoused. This average wait time was over twice as long as Ms X’s wait time at the time of the Council’s stage two response. For these reasons, it is unlikely an investigation would add to the Council’s previous investigation or lead to a different outcome. We will not investigate this complaint.
10. Ms X complains the Council failed to understand her housing needs and overcrowding at her property. The Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme 2023 explains that Ms X had a right to request a review of how the Council assessed her application, including the number of points or banding awarded. Under the Council’s Scheme, applicants have 21 days from the date of the Council’s decision to request a review, but it may consider extending this deadline depending on the reasons given by the applicant for the delay. If Ms X is unhappy with the Council’s assessment of her housing needs, it is reasonable to expect Ms X to ask the Council to review its decision. We will not investigate this complaint. If Ms X requests a review, but is unhappy with the Council’s response, she may wish to make a fresh complaint to the Ombudsman.

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Final decision

11. We have decided not to investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council delayed assessing her housing register application. The Council has upheld the complaint and has agreed to remedy Ms X’s injustice by way of an apology and payment of £100. Further investigation by us would not be proportionate.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman