WIREDGOV

Luton Borough Council is improving the way it administers benefits appeals after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found it had a backlog of cases dating back five years.

A man complained on behalf of his mother that the council had cancelled her housing benefit in 2017, but it had taken it until 2023 to refer her case to the Tribunal.

During the Ombudsman’s investigation, the council revealed it had a backlog of 68 appeals waiting to be referred to the Tribunal, and the oldest of these cases dated back to 2019.

In the woman’s case, the council took more than six years to act, when it should have taken no more than four weeks.

Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“The council told me it has been aware of the problem for a long time, and it first assigned resources to address it four years ago, but despite this it has not been able to eliminate the backlog.

“The council now says that because of the action it is taking, it should be able to clear the backlog within six months.

“Although the woman at the centre of the complaint had her appeal rejected, there is a possibility that some of the people within the 68 still waiting to be referred to the Tribunal will have their appeal upheld, and will therefore have been without the benefits they have been entitled to for a prolonged period.

"I am pleased the council has accepted the faults I have identified, and the improvements it will now put in place should ensure other people in the Luton area will have their appeals forwarded promptly to the Tribunal.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council will apologise to the woman and pay her £350 for the uncertainty caused by the delay.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to pass the remaining backlog of appeals to the Tribunal, prioritising appeals where the decision impacts the claimant’s current entitlement to Housing Benefit. It will also review the resources available to its appeals team, to ensure it can process appeals promptly.

Related Content : Luton Borough Council (23 016 145)