Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council considered him to be ineligible to join the housing register. This is because the complaint is late.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council failed to deem him eligible to be put on the housing register. He said he explained to the Council his reasons for needing to be close to his support network but the Council continues to deny his request and has also stopped responding to him.
2. Mr X says being forced to live far from his support network has caused avoidable distress and has left him and his family unable to leave their home. He believes the situation has worsened his medical conditions, preventing him from working. He wants the Council’s approval to join the housing register so he can relocate closer to his support network.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
4. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. In 2020, Mr X approached the Council for support after he became homeless. The Council found accommodation in a different area. Mr X said he felt pressured to accept the accommodation offered by the Council, despite its distance from his support network. In 2023, Mr X applied to join the Council’s housing register. Citing his medical conditions, he stated that he needed to be closer to his family for support.
8. The Council replied to this request with a decision letter refusing his application. It said, in line with its allocation policy, Mr X had no current housing need as it deemed his existing accommodation suitable. It also informed Mr X of his right to appeal the decision.
9. In 2025, Mr X complained to the Council about the matter. The Council informed him that the substantive matter of his complaint was late and it would not investigate. It also informed Mr X he had been made aware of his right to appeal in 2023 when he received the original decision letter. The Council saw no good reason why he had not pursued an appeal at the time when he was still within the eligible timeframe for a review.
10. We expect people to complain to us within 12 months of the events they are unhappy about. Mr X complained to the Council and us in 2025 about events between 2020 and 2023. Therefore this complaint is late and we will not investigate. We will not exercise discretion to investigate as there is no good reason Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman