The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the points awarded on his housing application. There is not enough of evidence of fault to justify an investigation. Other issues raised are better handled by another body.
The complaint
Mr X complains about how the Council dealt with his housing register application. He says the Council did not fully consider all relevant information and only gave Mr X points only for his son's health. He says the Council has not finished the work on his property, even though the Housing Ombudsman Service asked for it last year. Mr X feels unhappy with how the Council handled the complaint.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or there is another body better placed to consider this complaint.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
In May 2024, the Housing Ombudsman upheld Mr X’s complaint about how his landlord dealt with damp and mould. Mr X says the repairs are still not done.
I will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. The Housing Ombudsman is better placed to make sure the landlord acts on its decision.
Mr X says the Council did not give him enough housing points and ignored his evidence. He wants more points. I will not investigate this complaint. There is not enough evidence of fault. The Council followed its procedures.
I will not investigate how the Council handled the complaint process. It is not a good use of public resources if we cannot look into the main issue.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement. Other issues raised are better handled by another body.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman