Test Valley Borough Council (22 014 990)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint the Council has not financially reimbursed Mr X for accommodating a Ukraine family. That is because the Council’s actions have not caused Mr X a significant injustice.
The complaint
- Mr X complains the Council has not paid him for continuing to accommodate a Ukraine family that he initially sponsored under the Government’s Home for Ukraine scheme. He said that he cannot afford to continue to provide accommodation for the family. He wants the Council to rehouse them.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Ombudsman investigates 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 may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide:
- any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The County Council is responsible for administering the Government’s Home for Ukraine scheme. It decided that Mr X was no-longer a suitable host in August 2022. It stopped paying Mr X the sponsorship fee. The family continued to live with Mr X. They applied to the Council for housing.
- Mr X subsequently complained to the Council about its failure to rehouse the family. He asked the Council to either reinstate the sponsorship fee or pay him for continuing to accommodate the family.
- In response, the Council said it could not consider his complaint about the delays in rehousing as he was not part of the family household and the information was confidential. It said that the County Council was responsible for the sponsorship fees.
- We will not investigate this complaint. The County Council is responsible for the administration of the Home for Ukraine scheme. Therefore, any complaint about its decision to end the sponsorship and funding is for the County Council.
- Mr X is frustrated the Council has failed to rehouse the family since he stopped receiving payments for their accommodation. However, we cannot say the Council’s actions have caused Mr X a significant injustice. It is Mr X’s choice to continue to accommodate the family until alternative accommodation is found. The family would need to complain to the Council if they are unhappy with the delay in being rehoused.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council’s actions have not caused him a significant injustice.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman