Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to allow her to join its housing register. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained about the Council’s decision she did not qualify to join its housing register because she did not meet its residency criteria. She said the Council applied its policy rigidly and failed to consider her exceptional medical circumstances. As a result, Ms X says she remains in unsuitable 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 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

3. I considered information provided by Ms X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

What happened

5. Ms X applied to join the Council’s housing register in September 2025. In her application she said she had left a council tenancy in another area that month because the property was not suitable for her medical conditions.
6. The Council’s allocations policy says applicants must have lived in the Borough for five years continuously. This is called the local connection criteria. It decided Ms X did not qualify to join its scheme because she had not met that criteria.
7. Ms X asked for a review. In her review request, she provided further information about her health, current housing and her need to remain in the Borough to be close to her support network.
8. At review, the Council set out the exceptions to the local connection criteria. It explained that Ms X’s circumstances did not fall into one of the exceptions listed. It therefore concluded the decision to close the case was correct.

My assessment

9. It is not our role to say whether the Council’s decisions were correct. We can consider the decision-making process. However, unless there was fault in the decision-making, we cannot comment on the decision reached.
10. Councils have wide powers when deciding their allocations schemes to meet local needs. This means councils can set local connection criteria. The law says councils must allocate social housing in line with their published allocations policy.
11. This Council’s policy says applicants must normally have lived in the area for five years but also lists circumstances where the criteria may not apply. The Council’s review decision shows it considered the information Ms X provided and its allocation scheme when making its decision. It explained the reasons for its decision, and it made the decision without delay. Its decision was in line with its published allocations scheme.There is insufficient fault in its decision-making to justify further investigation.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman