Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about how the Council handled her housing application. This is because it is late and there is no good reason to investigate now.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains about how the Council handled her housing application. She says she had to pay for her own housing when the Council wrongly said she was not homeless.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Ms X complained to the Council in 2025 about how it handled her housing application in 2022.
7. I will not investigate this complaint. This is a late complaint. Ms X waited years to complain to the Council and to the Ombudsman about this matter. I can see no good reason why Ms X could not have complained to us sooner.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late, and there is no good reason to investigate now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman