Section: Allocations & Transfers

Failures in Assessing Application

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales issued a report on an investigation into a complaint about the way that Ceredigion County Council allocated a tenancy.

Mrs. G alleged that the Council's allocations points scheme was not in accordance with the law and guidance from Government. She also complained that a specific adapted dwelling had been allocated to another family illegally and that her own needs, including those of her family, had not been properly assessed.

At the time of Mrs. G's initial application, she and her family were living in private rented accommodation, which was in poor repair and unsuitable for Mr. G's health and could not be suitably adapted. The Ombudsman's report concludes that:

The Council had made mistakes in awarding points in the initial application, which had misled Mrs. G and her family about their position on the waiting list.
The Council had delayed for two years in making the appropriate enquiries into the physical condition of the property Mrs. G and her family were living in. It had also failed, for a slightly longer period, to make the necessary homelessness enquiries as regards the claim the property occupied was not suitable due to Mr. G's condition.
There were also complaints about Mrs. G's landlady's threatening behaviour, which the Council failed to investigate.
The Council had delayed in introducing new policy and a new points scheme, to correspond with legislative changes effective from 27 January 2003 (Homelessness Act 2002), which affected Mrs. G and her family's points score.

The Ombudsman recommended that:

Mrs. G and her family should be compensated by a payment of £2,000 to reflect the inconvenience of staying in unsuitable property longer than should have been necessary.
The Council should look at the incompatibility of its points scheme with the law, and review its procedures.

The Ombudsman looked at the situation concerning the alleged incorrect allocation of a specific property and suggested that the practice of inviting council members to comment at the point of allocations suggested to outsiders that they might be influencing decisions. The Ombudsman's report stresses that there is no evidence to suggest this was the situation in the case in question.

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Report No. 2003/0625/CG/236

Section: Allocations & Transfers

Failures in Assessing Application

Housing Monthly Diary

Issue: January 2006 Reporting on Sept.-Dec. 2005

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