WIREDGOV

London Borough of Tower Hamlets has agreed to review the way it allocates properties after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman uncovered it had a long backlog in processing applications to join its housing register.

The discovery came when the Ombudsman investigated how the council handled an application from a woman who was resident in its area.

The woman, who has mobility problems, moved to Tower Hamlets as she was fleeing domestic abuse.

When her landlord told her they wanted the property back, she approached the council to join its housing register.

The woman told the council her property was not suitable due to her medical conditions – she could not leave the property and could not manage the stairs to its entrance.

The council decided the woman did not qualify to join its housing register as she had not lived in the borough long enough.

The woman asked the council to review its decision. The council took six months to do so and the council did not change its decision. She complained and the council apologised for not considering her medical conditions properly and agreed to reconsider the woman’s application on medical grounds.

It awarded her a priority band 2B but failed to tell her of her right to seek a review of this decision.

The Ombudsman’s investigation found problems with the way the council considered the woman’s application – taking six months to do so when the Ombudsman recommends it should have been decided in eight weeks. The investigation also found the council failed to assess her application on medical grounds when she first made contact.

The Ombudsman also found the council at fault for not telling the woman of her right to a review of its decision, and for the time it took to carry out its review when she asked it to do so.

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

“Taking six months to decide a person’s homelessness application – when the process should only take eight weeks is simply unacceptable.

“While the faults I have identified have not stopped the woman from successfully bidding on a property, the time taken for the council to consider her application, and its initial failure to consider her medical needs can only have added to her distress.

“I hope reviewing the way it considers applications, and the action plan it has agreed to draw up, will significantly reduce waiting times for everyone in the borough.”

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 has agreed to apologise to the woman and make a symbolic payment of £500 to recognise the distress caused.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council will draw up an action plan for reducing the delay in considering applications for the housing register and to decide applications within eight weeks.

The council will also remind officers to consider whether an applicant, who does not have a local connection, has housing needs, including medical needs, when considering housing register applications. It will also review the letters it sends to applicants reminding them of their right to seek a review of decisions.

Related Content : London Borough of Tower Hamlets (22 013 057)