Herefordshire Council (24 013 517)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 21-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a scheme to introduce tenants for her property. This is because the Council has already taken action to remedy the injustice caused and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Westminster City Council (24 014 346)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 21-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision Mr X was not in priority need when he made a homelessness application. It was reasonable for Mr X to use his right of appeal to the county court on a point of law.

London Borough of Hillingdon (23 014 499)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 20-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her homelessness application. This is because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

Milton Keynes Council (24 006 946)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 20-Jan-2025

Summary: Miss B says the Council failed to act to prevent her becoming homeless and wrongly referred her case to another local authority when she could not return there due to experiencing abuse. The concerns about the referral to another local authority are outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. The Council dealt with the initial homeless application properly but did not provide Miss B with accommodation as it should have done. An apology, payment to Miss B and training for officers is satisfactory remedy.

London Borough of Newham (24 011 954)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 20-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council delaying making a payment. The Council has now made the payment. We cannot usefully achieve more.

North Yorkshire Council (24 017 948)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 20-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his homeless application. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to consider the late complaint.

Brighton & Hove City Council (24 002 393)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 15-Jan-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to advise her correctly of the rent she should have paid in her temporary accommodation. She says the Council informed her in November 2023 she had historic rent arrears and falsely claimed to have previously alerted her. Mrs X said this caused her distress and placed her in financial difficulty. She would like the Council to remove the debt. There was fault in the way the Council did not monitor the rent account and communicate this with Mrs X. This distressed Mrs X. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a financial payment and review the property affordability.

London Borough of Redbridge (24 008 099)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 15-Jan-2025

Summary: Miss X complains about the Council’s actions after following her homelessness. We have concluded our investigation having made a finding of fault. The Council placed Miss X in emergency accommodation that was not suitable for occupation at the time. I did not find fault with the Council’s initial response to Miss X’s homelessness, nor the Council’s actions in response to the protection of Miss X’s possessions. While we found fault, we did not consider there was scope for further personal remedy or service improvement recommendations; the Council had already offered a fair and proportionate remedy for the injustice caused and no further action is necessary.

Chelmsford City Council (24 013 648)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 15-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refer her homelessness application to another housing authority. This is because it is reasonable to expect Miss X to use her appeal rights to a court.

London Borough of Haringey (24 011 179)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 15-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the suitability of his temporary accommodation because this is too closely connected to the Council’s decision he has made himself intentionally homeless. Mr X has a right of appeal against that decision and it is reasonable for him to exercise that right.