Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council managed Miss X’s potential homelessness. This is because the injustice caused to Miss X does not warrant us investigating, and further investigation would probably not lead to a significantly different outcome.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the way the Council handled her homelessness application. She says there was lack of communication which left her feeling frustrated and anxious.

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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 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

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 March 2025 Miss X’s landlord said he wanted to end her tenancy. Miss X contacted the Council for assistance. We understand the Council then gave Miss X information about the process the landlord would have to follow to end a tenancy.
6. The Council has accepted it did not reply promptly to Miss X before the end of April. It apologised.
7. Miss X states during the period she did not hear from the Council she feared she would be evicted within weeks. I do not see the Council had given Miss X any reason to believe that. The landlord had only recently served notice to end the tenancy. That notice was due to expire in late May, but an eviction cannot take place until further legal processes are completed. The Council had already given Miss X information about the process.
8. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
9. The Council apologised for the lack of communication in the complaint correspondence. We would be unlikely to ask for significantly more than that if we investigated and upheld the complaint. Any remaining injustice to Miss X is not significant enough to warrant us investigating.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of any significant unremedied personal injustice which would warrant an investigation, and it is unlikely we would achieve a significantly different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman