The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint who says she lost her house due the Council’s neglect. She made the complaint late and there is no good reason to consider it now.
The complaint
Ms X complains that she lost her house due to the Council’s neglect in recognising sexual abuse victims. She further reports losing her job because of sleep deprivation from being placed in a high‑crime area, next to a male House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO).
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
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)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Ms X raised issues dating back to 2022. She says she emailed the Council and housing maintenance repeatedly over three years. I cannot see why she did not complain to the Council sooner. The Council addressed her complaint in January 2024, and she did not escalate the complaint further or bring the case to us.
I will not investigate Ms X’s complaint. Her concerns involve events more than 12 months old, and I see no good reason for her delay.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is made late and there is no good reason to consider it now.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman