Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her housing case. This is because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our further investigation.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the Council’s handling of her housing case. She says the Council did not take the required action after its review decision, including issuing the correct priority banding and activating her housing account.

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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:

• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• 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

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

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My assessment

5. In November 2025, the Council overturned its earlier decision that Miss X was not homeless because it decided her accommodation was unsuitable. It told Miss X that a housing officer would contact her to carry out a new housing assessment. Miss X complains about the Council’s delay in taking this action.
6. Since Miss X complained to us, the Council has activated her housing account and awarded her band 1 priority, backdated to November 2025. Miss X has also since secured alternative accommodation.
7. I acknowledge there was some delay in the Council taking action following its review decision. However, as the Council has now backdated Miss X’s priority to November 2025, I do not consider the delay caused her a significant injustice.
8. The Council has now completed the required actions, and Miss X has secured alternative accommodation. In these circumstances, there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our further investigation. Therefore, I will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our further investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman