Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s housing decision. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to keep him in Band B of their housing allocations register.
2. He feels that he should be in Band A due to his medical condition.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

(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 Mr X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to keep him in Band B of the housing allocations register. He says that he should be in Band A, and he submitted medical evidence to the Council to support his application.
7. The Council considered Mr X’s medical evidence and decided that he does not meet the criteria to be placed in Band A.
8. I have seen no evidence of fault with how the Council applied its housing allocations policy and made its decision.
9. Where a Council has reached a decision properly, we cannot question the outcome or the merits of that decision.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman