Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Miss Y’s housing register application. This is because part of the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to look at it now. And, there is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s more recent decision-making process to justify investigating.

The complaint

1. Miss Y complains about the Council’s handling of her housing register application and decision to close her application in 2020. She says she repeatedly asked the Council to provide information about her application. Miss Y complains she went to time and trouble trying to resolve these issues over the years.
2. Miss Y complains, in 2025 after successfully applying to join its register, the Council refused to backdate her effective date on her housing register application to when she first applied to join in 2020.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
4. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
5. 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))
6. We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

7. I considered information provided by the complainant.
8. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

9. In 2020, Miss Y applied to join the Council’s housing register. Miss Y complains about the Council’s handling of the application between 2020 and 2021, including its decision to close her application during this time. This complaint is late, as Miss Y did not complain to the Ombudsman until June 2026, meaning we would not usually look at events before June 2025. I have seen no good reasons for us to exercise discretion and investigate these historic matters.
10. In 2025, the Council accepted Miss Y’s application to join its housing register. Miss Y complains the Council refused to backdate her effective date to March 2020 when she first applied to join its register.
11. The Council considered Miss Y’s review request and the information provided. In its complaint responses, it refused Miss Y’s request and confirmed her effective date was in line with its Housing Allocations Policy. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making process to justify investigating. Further, the Council’s policy says: for applicants who successfully apply to join its housing register after the Council previously cancelled their application, the Council will give them a new effective date. In exceptional circumstances, the Council may reinstate a cancelled application without changing the effective date if the applicant reapplies within three months of the cancellation. Based on the evidence I have seen, the Council’s refusal to backdate the effective date is in line with its Housing Allocations policy. It is unlikely an investigation would find the Council at fault for refusing to backdate the effective date. So, we will not investigate this matter.

Back to top

Final decision

12. We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Miss Y’s housing register application. Part of the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to look at it now. And, there is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s more recent decision-making process to justify investigating.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman