Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complained about the Council’s assessment of her housing application. She says she has been homeless since 2018 and in temporary accommodation since 2020. She is on the same level of points now as she was when she was awarded 200 points in 2020 and believes she should have additional points for each year on the housing list.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

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

2. I considered the information provided by the complainant and the Council.
3. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Mrs X says she has been in temporary accommodation since 2020 and homeless since 2018. She asked the Council why she remained on 200 points which was the amount allowed to her in 2020. She says she should be entitled to additional points for each year on the housing register which would give her a much higher figure by now.
5. The Council referred her to the housing allocations scheme which states that persons accepted as homeless and remaining in temporary accommodation provided by the Council do not qualify for additional points. Only applicants who find private rented accommodation inside or outside the borough are allocated an additional points award. This applies to all homeless applicants becoming homeless after November 2012 when the policy was amended following the introduction of the Localism Act 2011. This changed how councils operate their housing policies.
6. Mrs X became homeless after 2012 and she remains in the temporary accommodation provided by the Council in 2020. This means she does not qualify for additional points and may be made only one reasonable offer to discharge the Council’s homeless duty.
7. The Ombudsman may not find fault with a council’s assessment of a housing application or a housing applicant’s priority if it has carried this out in line with its published allocations scheme. We recognise that the demand for social housing far outstrips the supply of properties in many areas.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman