A Disabled Norwich man slept on the concrete floor of a garage for several nights after Norwich City Council failed to consider his homelessness application properly, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has found.

The Ombudsman's investigation into the man’s complaint found the council did not properly assess the man for interim accommodation, after he approached it as homeless, which ended up causing him significant and avoidable distress.

The man had applied to the council as homeless in July 2024 after receiving a formal eviction notice. Over the following months, he submitted multiple forms of medical evidence, including letters from his GP and hospital outlining significant physical health conditions, including an upcoming surgery, as well as evidence of his disability benefit award. Despite this, the council failed to properly consider whether he may be entitled to support until days before bailiffs arrived.

When he was eventually evicted at the beginning of December 2024, he had an anxiety attack and sought emergency medical treatment. With no accommodation arranged, he slept on the concrete floor of a garage that the council had organised for him to store his belongings. He stayed there for four nights. On the fifth day of being street homeless, he was admitted to hospital.

The Ombudsman's investigation found that had the council acted correctly, on balance it would have offered him interim accommodation as early as October 2024 - two months before his eviction - and he would have avoided both the legal costs of the bailiff proceedings and the period of severe distress that followed.

Julie Odams, Chief Executive at the LGSCO, said:

"Despite repeatedly chasing the council for help, this Disabled man was left to sleep on a cold concrete floor with his mental health deteriorating all while the council failed to properly consider the significant evidence in front of it. No Disabled person should ever be left to face that situation.

"Norwich City Council has accepted what has gone wrong in this case and I welcome its acceptance of our recommendations to put things right. The steps it has agreed to take, including retraining staff and giving them clearer guidance about their responsibilities to people facing homelessness, should help ensure this does not happen to anyone else.

“Councils have a legal duty to act promptly when someone may be homeless and in priority need, and I would urge all councils to review their own practices in light of this case."

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the man and pay him a symbolic £1,250 to acknowledge the injustice he was caused. It will also pay the court and bailiff costs he incurred.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities to act early for people facing eviction and offer interim accommodation as soon as there is a reason to think someone might need it. They should also ensure interim accommodation is suitable before offering it.

Article date: 19 March 2026