Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a homeless application. Miss X has requested a statutory review of the Council’s decision on her case and will have a further right of appeal to the County Court if she is unsuccessful. It is reasonable for her to pursue this remedy.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained about the Council’s assessment of her homeless application. She says the Council has placed her in unsuitable emergency accommodation and that it has taken too long to decide her case.

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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 it would be reasonable for the person to ask for a council review or appeal.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. Miss X applied to the Council as homeless in 2023 and the Council placed her in interim accommodation under its homelessness relief duty the following day. Following this Miss X complained to the Council about being placed in temporary housing and that she had not received a final decision on her application. She also complained about the methodology of her caseworker in investigations about her personal circumstances.
6. The Council acknowledged some fault in the way it communicated with her about her case and offered her a payment of £100 in recognition. However, in May 2014 it informed her that it had decided her application and that she was non-priority homeless and that it would take steps to remove her from the interim accommodation. Miss X asked for a review of the decision under s.202 of the Housing Act 1996.
7. The Council is currently undertaking the review which it says will be completed by the end of August. She is represented by solicitors and if the outcome is not in her favour she will have a further right of appeal to the County Court.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a homeless application. Miss X has requested a statutory review of the Council’s decision on her case and will have a further right of appeal to the County Court if she is unsuccessful. It is reasonable for her to pursue this remedy.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman