Birmingham City Council (25 002 498)

Statement Upheld Allocations 25-Nov-2025

Summary: Mr B complained about the Council closing his housing applications. We find that the Council did not clearly explain which documents he needed to provide and then closed his applications as incomplete without specifying what additional evidence he needed to supply. This caused Mr B unnecessary frustration and inconvenience and delayed his ability to join the housing register. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment to Mr B, assess his application and, if he qualifies to join the register, backdate his registration and award date.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 021 237)

Statement Upheld Allocations 24-Nov-2025

Summary: Mr X complained the Council did not properly consider supporting evidence for his rehousing application and delayed reviewing his medical priority decision. The Council’s delayed medical priority review decision is fault. It caused Mr X distress and uncertainty. On the balance of probabilities, there is no fault in how the Council or medical review panel made its decision on Mr X’s medical priority, so we cannot question the outcome. The Council agreed to apologise to Mr X for the delay, make a payment to recognise the distress caused and carry out the service recommendations.

Watford Borough Council (25 008 249)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 24-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about how the Council has dealt with her housing application. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (25 002 170)

Statement Upheld Allocations 20-Nov-2025

Summary: Miss X complains about the Council’s decision to remove her from the housing register in February 2025. Miss X says this has caused her distress and financial hardship. We have found fault in the actions of the Council for failing to act in accordance with its allocation policy. The Council has agreed to issue Miss X an apology and reviews its allocation policy.

London Borough of Bromley (25 006 460)

Statement Upheld Allocations 20-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about being wrongly skipped for an offer through the housing register because the Council has remedied this by making a direct offer and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Maidstone Borough Council (25 006 647)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 20-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to change her effective date after she refused an offer of a property through its housing register. The decision was in line with its published allocations scheme and there is insufficient evidence of fault in its decision-making to justify our involvement.

Harlow District Council (25 007 383)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 20-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about her housing register priority banding and that it has not yet made her an offer of accommodation. The Council has now offered her permanent accommodation. An investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome or achieve anything more.

London Borough of Hillingdon (25 008 978)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 20-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his housing register application because there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify our involvement. We cannot investigate the Council’s actions as manager of social housing and the Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider concerns about the Council’s response to a Freedom of Information request.

Westminster City Council (25 008 409)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 20-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision about Ms X’s housing priority. Part of the complaint is late and there are no good reasons for us to exercise discretion to consider it now. We will not investigate the rest of Ms X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant our involvement.

London Borough of Barnet (25 007 026)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 19-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Miss X’s circumstances for a housing application in terms of her medical needs, vulnerability and safeguarding. Confidential information which we have received indicates that this complaint does not meet the requirements of our assessment code.