Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s assessment of her housing register application. There is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council failed to properly consider her needs when it assessed her housing register application.
2. Miss X said this had a serious impact on her physical health and emotional wellbeing.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We consider 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 no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation. (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 and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X said the Council did not consider her health conditions when it assessed her housing register application. Miss X said she provided the Council with information about her diagnoses but it did not give her a higher priority for housing.
7. Miss X also said her accommodation was unsuitable for her needs and the Council should have considered this when it assessed her application.
8. The Council awarded Miss X band four priority, but shortly after it awarded her band three priority.
9. At Miss X’s request, the Council completed a review of her priority banding and maintained its decision to award her band three priority. In its response, it acknowledged Miss X had been moved to a more suitable flat by her housing provider.
10. However, since Miss X complained to the Ombudsman, the Council awarded her with band two priority, in line with its policy. Miss X is now within her desired priority banding. The Council backdated this award by six months.
11. Given Miss X has now been awarded the priority banding she desired and can ask the Council to carry out another review if she remains dissatisfied, there is no other worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement. Therefore, we will not investigate.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman