Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Ms X’s housing situation. This is because it is too late now to investigate what happened a number of years ago and we cannot investigate her current complaint about her social housing because this matter falls under the authority of the Housing Ombudsman.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I refer to as Ms X, complains about matters relating to her past and present housing situation in Council housing.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate complaints about the provision or management of social housing by a council acting as a registered social housing provider. (Local Government Act 1974, paragraph 5A schedule 5, as amended)
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 Ms X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
7. Ms X is a social housing tenant and, by law, we cannot investigate complaints made about the provision or management of social housing by a council acting as a provider of this housing. This is a matter which falls under the authority of the Housing Ombudsman Service and Ms X has already been in contact with this body.
8. Ms X has also complained about events which happened a number of years ago in relation to homelessness and her housing situation. However, these events are too far in the past to be investigated now as Ms X could have complained about them to us sooner.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is too late now to investigate what happened a number of years ago and we cannot investigate her current complaint about her social housing because this matter falls under the authority of the Housing Ombudsman

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman