London Borough of Hillingdon (20 003 557)

Statement Upheld Allocations 11-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr X complained that the Council wrongly decided he has no housing need and so he did not qualify to join its Housing Register. We found fault because the Council did not follow the procedure in its housing allocations policy for medical assessments when it assessed Mr X’s housing needs. This caused injustice to Mr X because his application was not properly considered. The Council has agreed to reconsider his application and make a new decision.

Eastleigh Borough Council (19 017 155)

Statement Upheld Allocations 10-Feb-2021

Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to consider properly her banding review request and awarded her the incorrect priority banding. Miss X says this meant she was living in unsuitable accommodation with her family, which has caused her distress and affected her mental health. The Ombudsman finds fault in the way the Council explained its decision to Miss X, and for failing to properly assess her banding priority on health and welfare grounds. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise and make Miss X a payment for the distress and uncertainty caused.

Wycombe District Council (19 006 212)

Statement Not upheld Allocations 09-Feb-2021

Summary: There is no fault with the Council’s assessment of Ms B’s housing priority. Ms B has enough priority to enable her to be first on the short list for most suitable properties. However, the Council cannot give her priority for the housing areas she would prefer to live in as they are in another Council’s area. The Council has made Ms B aware of the options available to her, including offering three properties it considers suitable.

Birmingham City Council (20 006 405)

Statement Upheld Allocations 09-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained the Council wrongly determined they do not qualify for the housing register and refused to consider their review request. The Council’s failure to properly assess Mr and Mrs X’s application to join the housing register amounts to fault. The Council has taken action to redress any injustice this caused.

Worthing Borough Council (20 006 170)

Statement Upheld Allocations 08-Feb-2021

Summary: The Council was at fault for how it dealt with Miss B’s housing application. Its register allows people to move into its area if they have a need to move, such as unsuitable accommodation or the need to receive family support. These were the reasons Miss B gave in her application, but the Council did not properly consider her circumstances. It has agreed to make a new decision.

London Borough of Redbridge (18 000 313)

Report Upheld Homelessness 02-Dec-2020

Summary: Ms X complains via a representative that the Council wrongly left her family in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than a year and wrongly blamed her for failing to co-operate in resolving her situation. The Council failed to refer the matter to its homelessness team, and it did not assess Ms X, or provide her with suitable accommodation while this should have been happening, nor give her a written decision and opportunity to appeal. We find it more likely than not, given the Council had sought to persuade the borough from which Ms X had moved that she was not intentionally homeless, it would have reached the same view if it had acted properly. This caused injustice to Ms X and her children in having to live in unsuitable accommodation for more than a year. However, had Ms X been intentionally homeless, the Council might have been able without fault to place the family in the same bed and breakfast accommodation under the terms of the Children Act 1989, subject only to regular review of the children’s needs. This Act does not have the same focus regarding accommodation as housing legislation. We have therefore issued this report because of the potential for conflict between housing and social care duties, which may lead to perverse outcomes for children in need in other cases.

London Borough of Wandsworth (19 006 011)

Report Upheld Homelessness 18-Nov-2020

Summary: Ms X complains the Council had not dealt with her homeless application, helped her as a victim of domestic violence or registered her on its allocation scheme.

London Borough of Harrow (20 004 346)

Report Upheld Private housing 13-Nov-2020

Summary: The Council failed to comply with an agreed Ombudsman action to apologise and pay Mr X £200 following a final decision we made in February 2020 (reference: 17 018 925).

East Lindsey District Council (19 018 986 )

Report Upheld Allocations 28-Oct-2020

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain the Council refused to let them join the housing register (waiting list).

London Borough of Enfield (19 006 598)

Report Upheld Allocations 17-Aug-2020

Summary: Mrs B complains the Council has not moved her family into suitable temporary accommodation.