Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council handled Miss X’s housing application. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the way the Council handled her housing application. She said the Council initially lost her application and made her wait six months before reapplying. She said the Council has failed to accept she has medical needs which require a house move. Miss X said this has caused her significant distress and she is living in an overcrowded property.
2. Miss X wants the Council to accept she has medical needs which require a property move.

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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 the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X applied to join the Council’s housing register. The Council initially assessed her as overcrowded in October 2025, but later confirmed this was an error. It decided, in line with its housing policy, she was not severely overcrowded. It also completed a medical assessment but did not award medical priority. Miss X appealed.
7. The Council reviewed Miss X’s case and upheld its decision. It said its policy required evidence that housing conditions caused or worsened a medical condition. It decided Miss X’s concerns related to lack of space rather than medical need. It also said she did not meet the policy threshold for severe overcrowding, as she was not lacking two rooms.
8. We are not an appeal body. It is not our role to say whether the Council’s decision was correct. Unless there was a fault in the Council’s decision-making process, we cannot comment on the decision reached. The law says councils must allocate social housing in line with their published allocations scheme. The Council considered Miss X’s circumstances when making its decision. There is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
9. As the Council decided Miss X was not eligible to join its housing register, any injustice caused to her by having to wait six months to re-apply is not enough to warrant our involvement.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman