The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s housing application decision and its handling of her case. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.
The complaint
Miss X complains about the Council’s decision to refuse her housing application. She says the Council did not take her personal circumstances into account and was wrong to reject documents she gave in support of her application.
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.(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B)) If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Miss X and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
There is not enough evidence of fault with the Council’s decision to reject Miss X’s application. The Council explained why her documents were not sufficient to progress her application. And confirmed it had taken her personal circumstance into account.
Where a Council has made a decision properly, we cannot question the outcome of its decision.
In April 2025 Miss X asked the Council to review its decision. Unfortunately, she used the wrong email address, and so the Council did not receive this.
It is open to Miss X to ask for a review again.
Final decision
We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman