An elderly disabled couple who found themselves homeless were forced to live apart and in unsuitable temporary accommodation by Newham council, a Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) investigation has found.

The couple had been living with their son and his family in the borough when they were made homeless by their landlord. They approached the council as a family, but were told the only temporary accommodation available immediately was in Birmingham, some 130 miles away.

The couple refused the offer as it was not suitable for their needs: the woman is in her late 70s and her husband is in his 80s and both have severe mobility problems. The family split up and stayed with relatives in east London.

The council eventually found the family temporary accommodation in a neighbouring borough, but the man was unable to move in because he could not climb the 14 steps to access the flat and had to live with other relatives. This flat had no shower and as the woman could not use a bath, she was forced to strip wash instead for the 10 weeks the family lived there.

After the family involved a solicitor who threatened legal proceedings, the council managed to find new accommodation which better suited all of the family.

Dr Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman, said:

“This family was given Hobson’s choice when it came to accepting the accommodation they were offered. They had the choice of something unsuitable or nothing at all.

“While I appreciate the difficult circumstances some councils find themselves in with the lack of availability of emergency accommodation, authorities do need to make sure that the accommodation they offer to people is suitable for their needs.”

To remedy the situation, the LGO has recommended the council pay the couple £750 to recognise the distress and hardship they and their family have suffered. The council has also agreed to remind its staff who deal with homelessnes to issue clear decision letters and will undertake random sampling to make sure this is done.

The council should also review its working practices to ensure that it offers priority appointments to applicants who are elderly or disabled and have a confirmed eviction date and improve its procedures for assessing the suitability of accommodation for people with disabilities.

Article date: 25 March 2014